The Face of Death

On the morning of Thursday, November 19, 2009, I found myself at the Hilton casino. I was attending the Global Gaming Expo and working on a review for my new website. Wizard Of Vegas Having just wrapped up a game of video poker, I was headed to the player rewards desk to inquire about how points are accumulated. As I approached, I noticed quite a scene unfolding near a slot machine. Upon closer inspection, I saw an elderly man trying to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on an elderly woman. He seemed unsure of his technique, exclaiming that she wasn't breathing. Although I had taken CPR classes in the past and considered stepping in to assist, when I got nearer, I could see that the woman's complexion was an alarming shade of blue. Her eyes were shut, her jaw was askew, and her limbs were positioned in ways that looked unnatural for someone of her age. It was painfully clear: she was beyond help.

It was unequivocal; I had witnessed death firsthand. Typically, I'm a very rational thinker, yet in that moment, I instantly recognized the reality of the situation. Her lifelessness was evident to everyone around, and it seemed futile to attempt any further interventions. A staff member brought a wheelchair but only for a brief moment before retreating with it untouched. Soon after, the paramedics arrived, examined the woman for a short while, and then placed her onto a stretcher for transport. A moment later, the area around the slot machine returned to normal, as if nothing catastrophic had just occurred.

Until that day, my only experience with deceased individuals had been at an open casket funeral a couple of years prior, which I wouldn’t really account as genuine. The makeup applied was so extensive that the body almost appeared to be neither alive nor deceased. It felt artificial, and certainly not like the person I had known throughout my life.

During the mid-1990s, I had a brief stint as an extra on the TV series Homicide, portraying a pathologist in the medical examiner's office. One unfortunate extra had to play a corpse, changing his clothes and then undergoing extensive make-up application for an hour to appear like a dead victim of a gunshot. The makeup artists turned him into a typical corpse as seen in shows like 'Six Feet Under' or in movies such as 'Eyes Wide Shut,' giving him that classic look of someone peacefully asleep, enhanced by cosmetic techniques to create a pale and unearthly appearance.

The reality of death is far more stark, as I discovered that day. The woman's skin was predominantly ashen, with only hints of blue; her lips were a bewildering mix of both colors. There was no semblance of the usual flesh tone. While her facial structure suggested she might have been of Asian descent, the unnatural tint of her skin made it difficult to be certain. I found myself pondering how long she had been lifeless; it seemed unbelievable that someone could pass away so close to a slot machine in such a bustling place without anyone noticing. The drastic change in her complexion in what must have been a brief period was astonishing.

Beyond being a lesson in the transient nature of life, I felt a deep and unsettling churn in my stomach that was hard to articulate. Just moments earlier, that body had contained a life. A woman I had never met, yet likely a mother and grandmother who influenced many lives through her choices and experiences. And just like that, everything ended. What remained was a mere shell of flesh and bone abandoned next to a slot machine.

This experience led me to reflect on the delicate nature of existence and the significance behind it all. What if my last encounter or experience was with a slot machine? Why was I present in that casino at that particular moment? Had my life been lived in vain? Should I prioritize time with those I love over dissecting casino games and reviewing their intricacies? Do I make a positive difference in the world, or do I merely take without giving back? Am I truly living life to its fullest potential, or am I squandering it? In the pursuit of genuine happiness, have I ultimately failed? After about fifteen minutes of this heavy contemplation, I decided it was time to shift my focus and approached the players club counter to finally ask my question regarding how points accumulate in video poker.

Written by: Michael Shackleford