Have A Little Fun

A few weeks ago, I went to Las Vegas for a project. I was working on it with my cousin. We landed in Las Vegas at about 10:30pm, got our rental car, drove to the hotel, and got settled in around midnight. 

We had to be up relatively early to prepare for our shoot the next day, but the hotel we stayed at was right on the strip, connected to a glamorous casino. We decided to go have a look around. 

The casino floor was fascinating. There wasn’t a direct light to be found, only a soft glow, intentionally designed. Nothing was too bright or too dark, nothing there made your eyes feel tired. The air was cool, not cold. It felt like a breath of fresh air–until I remembered they were likely pumping oxygen into the room to keep people awake. 

We pulled out a few bucks from the ATM. I never learned to play cards without a cheat sheet next to me, and I didn’t want to embarrass myself, so my cousin and I sat down at a slot machine. I put $1 in, and decided to bet $0.25 per pull. The first pull? No luck. The second? Empty. The third? Nada. The fourth, and final pull? I won $1.25. 

I had somehow achieved a 25% return in Las Vegas. 

My cousin, on the other hand, lost $5. 

So what’s the lesson here? 

To quit while you’re ahead? To go bigger next time? To shout into the microphones and cameras at Las Vegas casinos that this is your first time betting? 

I’m not sure. You can take whatever lesson you like. 

The lesson I’m taking is to have a little fun while you have the chance.