The Susan Saga (Chapter 6)

Dear Uncle Jack--
If this is the journal of my journey, I would like to address the emotional issues involved in a major move.
Our older son, John (23), came home for the weekend because the whole crew from high school is in town. One of their last hurrahs?! John graduated from Iowa State with a degree in Community and Regional Planning/Environmental Studies, (making him a preservationist/tree-hugger?). He is finishing up a one-year AmeriCorps stint as a city planner in The Dalles, Oregon. In September, he will begin a year as an environmental education intern in Los Altos Hills, California. You get the picture.
He sees Las Vegas as The Strip and uncontrolled sprawl. What does he tell his friends about his parents moving there?! ( John has been a cynic since birth!) I started to tell him about Vintage Vegas, but he left to go play with his friends before I could get the point across. I'm sure I can change his viewpoint in the next two days. I think, though, that he is saddened by his friends all moving away (Gee, John, that's what happens--) and has not adjusted to the thought that the parents may move away, too. Of course, Jack, ours was the house where they all gathered throughout high school!
THE ROOM is 1/4 done. As I said, it is slow going. You'll understand once you see the pictures and the square footage. I have found things that I thought were gone. It's almost like Christmas! I will plug away again tomorrow. Good news is that they start on the bathroom tomorrow! I have to get everything out of there-- and maybe some more tiles-- tonight. Tomorrow should be interesting!

Susan

I replied:

Tell John that Las Vegas desperately needs him, or people like him. Tell him that the world is lucky that the next generation cares a whole lot more than it's predecessors. Our cities don't have to be lifeless, drab, or boring. Everything doesn't have to look like everything else. Every home, and every block and every neighborhood of Vintage Vegas is unique and fascinating.

And yes, we have sprawl, and glitter and lights and an enormous entertainment industry which is the renewable source of fuel for the entire Las Vegas machine. But at the heart (or core) of it, is another whole new Las Vegas experience and people like me, and your John, and you, soon enough, and the artists and musicians, and tree lovers, and history lovers, and old house lovers, and convenience lovers, and a whole lot more kinds of interesting, fun, creative, imaginative, and socially, politically, and environmentally aware people are making Vintage Vegas their home. The suburbs and the sprawl don't really exist for US.

Once he experiences our world of the Las Vegas URBAN CORE, which is in only the middle stage of re-inventing itself, (just as all of LV is famous for doing) he'll be impressed, and happy for you that you're part of something truly amazing.

And just maybe he'll do like I did, and follow my parents here. Best decision I ever made.
Sincerely,
Uncle Jack