October 12 – “What holiday?”

Hmm.  October 12.  Didn’t that used to be some kind of holiday or something?  Oh, I remember.  Columbus Day, right?  I used to be able to keep up with those things back when I was in elementary school and we got to color pictures of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.  Oh, and the February presidents as well, back when they each had his own special day.  I remember doing those silhouette pictures out of black construction paper of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.  I was really sad for those guys when they forced them to celebrate their birthdays together like they were some kind of misplaced-in-history twins. 

I have figured out a way to cheat on the whole holiday thing, though.  Just visit any bank on Fridays.  If there is a holiday coming up, there will invariably be a sign on the door telling you all about how they will be closed to honor it.  Great profession, that banking.  Except for the whole dressing up to go to work thing.  But they seem to be getting away from that as well.  At least on Fridays … during football season.  Blue jeans and Texans football jerseys (and a few Cowboys jerseys in the mix as well).  My question is … What about them Astros?  There is a team poised to advance in the playoffs.  Why not have an Astros Day at the Bank?  Wear an Astros jersey.  Hang orange streamers from the wall.  Those you could leave up for the rest of the month anyway.  As the Astros advance, you are still honoring them.  Then at the end of the month your Halloween decorations are already in place.  Two birds with one stone.  Half-priced “Astros win” pizzas at Papa Johns.  Free “Astros win” slushies at Sonic.  Playoff paraphernalia available at Academy.  50 cents off Colby Jack cheese at WalMart for every home run Rasmus hits.  Free Dallas Keuchel paste-on beards with fill ups at Murphy’s gas stations.  75% off on flannel shirts for three days at Palais Royal after every Gattis the Lumberjack home run.  Assorted fanwear t-shirts available at Target, including: “The Astro Giant” (with a picture of Jose Altuve and his bat), “Springer Stinger” (with a picture of George Springer swinging his bat which is adorned with an image of an angry bee), “Rookie of the Year” (with a picture of Carlos Corerra), and even “1-2-3” (with a picture of all three of those guys).  Rumor has it there might even be available a limited edition t-shirt with “Manager of the Year” and A.J. Hinch’s photo. 

What can I say?  I’m just an overgrown ten-year-old kid with my Houston Colt .45’s cap on a little crooked, rooting for the home team.  But I have some great marketing ideas.  Go Astros.

Hebrews 10:22 says, “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

Father, thank you for holidays and banks and home town teams to root for.  Adds some more fun to life.  Amen.