My son, Tommy

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Almost four years ago, my then eleven and a half year old son researched and then wrote a paper that he called, "How A Kid Can See the World In Five Days". (In Las Vegas) I believe it started kind of as a joke, and to inform his godfather who refused to take my son with he and his wife on their yearly jaunt to Vegas. Had told my son that Vegas was not for children as far as he could see. So that was that for a couple of years until he came up with the idea of writing a paper showing that a kid could spend time in Vegas safely, learn quite a bit about different areas of the world by the elaborate themes of the hotels. Naturally not a replacement for the real thing, but enough to start a kid to become more interested in learning about the world outside their front door and begin to care for his fellow man. He went on to say that kids no longer have that sense of wonder and magic that nurtures and protects children until they able to be eased into this harsh world more gently, without stifling growing imaginations, stunting self-esteem nor taking away hope. Because without hope there is only despair. I stopped him here, told him that he obviously has been allowed to watch way too many movies. And that if what he was ultimately attempting to accomplish was for his godfather to agree to take him with, the next time, this was possibly not quite the most effective approach he could use to sway him, and perhaps he should take a little time and think it out. Sure enough a short while later he figured it out. He came up with tons of places and things to do and see that were very inexpensive or free. He had one of the Unique Media 3d Map of Las Vegas so he was able to visualize the Strip he had never been to, and map out his Five Days.

I just read over what I have written so far, and it sounds rather silly, even to me, Tommy's mom. It tickles me, makes me chuckle, that he was just eleven and a half years old when this transpired. And saddens me that after all the effort he put forth to be able to go, and he was going to be able to go as he proved his point, he didn't live long enough. He died five months into his twelth year. I brought him home after having his tonsils removed and a few hours later he was dead.

So I have felt this need to fullfill his dream of going to Las Vegas. To take the pictures he didn't get to take and put them in a scrapbook and on the website he planned. It's so much easier to talk about than to do. I've been invited to go this coming weekend with a friend who was able to bring along a guest to her company's annual holiday escape weekend to Las Vegas.

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