Leaving Las Vegas – Rodeo Style

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#photography, addiction, cowboy, cowboys, economic impact, fine art photography, Florida, gambling, las vegas, lincoln rogers, national Finals Rodeo, NFR, Oklahoma City, organized crime, osceola, prostitution, revenue, rodeo, rodeo photography, sport, Vegas, west, western, WNFR, Wrangler, wrangler national finals rodeo

And they call the thing rodeo…

http://lincoln-rogers.artistwebsites.com/featured/the-usual-suspects-lincoln-rogers.html

It appears the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR or NFR) may be leaving Las Vegas after 30 years and head to Osceola, FL.  Multiple news reports discuss the possibility:

http://twistedrodeo.com/2013/12/16/las-vegas-could-lose-a-great-thing/

http://m.reviewjournal.com/news/nevada-and-west/national-finals-rodeo-leave-las-vegas

The NFR moved from Oklahoma City nearly 30 years ago to Las Vegas and many people thought it would never work.  Now it might move to Florida and, again, many people think it won’t work.  Florida is offering four million dollars more than the current Vegas contract.  That extra four million means more money for the contestants, which is where it should go.  It is estimated Vegas reaps about ninety million dollars over the ten-day event that draws between 150,000-200,000 people to the city.  It’s no wonder Florida is making a serious run to be the future host.

Personally, I’ve never attended the NFR in Vegas because I’m leery of the underbelly of Vegas – organized crime, prostitution, gambling addiction, etc.  I once turned down a good job offer because it would have required me to be in Vegas for a couple of weeks every year.  Vegas can try all it wants to paint itself as “family friendly,” but even its motto and commercials of “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” contradicts that effort.  It’s just a personal thing to not want to be there.  I understand plenty of people enjoy Vegas and don’t see a downside to the city.

The thing is, I write for several magazines that would love to have stories and photos from the NFR, but I could never bring myself to go.  If it does move out of Vegas, there’s a good chance I’ll finally attend and get those stories and photos their way!

Have a great day and don’t let your horse come home without ya!

Lincoln

Check out Lincoln’s online gallery of Fine Art Photography here

Helping Those Holiday Blues

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abuse, addiction, anitdote, blues, Christmas, Christmas and holiday season, Christmas music, depression, difficult, family, friends, giving, grief, help, Holiday, holidays, Licensed Professional Counselor, lincoln rogers, loneliness, loss, merry christmas, positive, pressure, pressures, relationships, serving, stress, supportive, therapist, toxic, volunteer

Sometimes it’s easy to forget…

I look around at a merry atmosphere – Christmas music playing, the blessings of a warm house and plenty of food, the horses safe in the barn, good health and good relationships with family and friends.  In the cheerful bustle of the Christmas season, it can be easy to forget how many people struggle emotionally and psychologically during this time of year.

Why?  The reasons are legion.  People miss loved ones who are gone from their lives – the holidays remind them of family dysfunction and/or childhood abuse – addictive behaviors make frequent appearances during this stressful season – lack of positive/meaningful relationships create a feeling of withdrawal and loneliness – etc., etc., etc.

I have a Masters Degree in Counseling, along with being a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Colorado for a number of years.  During my career as a therapist for troubled families, teens and abused children, I saw a lot of the “other side” of the holidays.  It’s real and it’s difficult. For those struggling during this time, there are several ways to stave off the holiday blues, including:

• Begin a new tradition. Plan a family outing or vacation instead of spending the holidays at home.
• Don’t succumb to holiday pressures. Feel free to leave an event if you aren’t comfortable and be willing to tell others, “I’m not up for this right now.”
• Volunteer. Work at a soup kitchen, organize a gift drive, help a food pantry or simply help the neighbor dig the snow out of his driveway.
• Get back to nature. Going for a walk in the park or the woods helps many people who are feeling overwhelmed to feel better.
• Inject the Antidote. Nearly everyone has one or more “toxic” relationships in their lives – relatives or friends/acquaintances who are relentlessly negative and/or needy.  Find and “inject” the “antidote” relationships during this season.  Consciously spend time with those people who are positive and supportive.

It might be easy to forget how challenging this time of year can be for people, but it’s also easy to remember you can help by being a positive influence to everyone you meet.  After all, Christmas is about giving and serving, not about getting.

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/cowboy-boot-christmas-lincoln-rogers.html

Have a giving and positive Christmas season and don’t let your horse come home without ya!

Lincoln

You can find Lincoln’s online gallery of Fine Art Photography here