July 27 – “Who is Oscar?”

Well, now.  Here’s a fun alternative to working at a computer desk all day.  Yesterday we went to the Rosenberg Library.  Not, I confess, to check out a book, however.  This day we would be privy to a very special event, one opened only to the select few who managed to make their way into the confines of the main meeting room on the main floor of the library.  And what event of such magnitude could possibly be occurring in Galveston?  It was not so much the event as the introduction of a special guest.  So, then, who could it be?

The room slowly filled with children and their parents or caretakers.  Cailyn and Nathan came.  Christina brought her five young’uns.  I met one particular family outside the room.  The Mom and Dad and young son were from an Eastern European country, in town visiting Grandma.  Grandma was very much the American.  She asked me about the impending program, and when I shared what few details I knew, she turned to her family and began the most animated explanation of the coming guest star that I have ever seen, waving her arms, and pantomiming throwing and pulling back what would appear in the world of mime to be a gigantic slingshot.  The youngster was intrigued a bit at first, but in the end, his mind just couldn’t get wrapped around what she was describing so excitedly.  To Grandma’s great disappointment, they left before the festivities began. 

Not long after, the doors closed.  The music began.  And leaping out from behind a screen came none other than … Oscar.  Umm.  Wait.  Oscar?  Cool name and all, but who is Oscar?  He was loud and happy and interacted well with the children.  But … Oscar?  Oh, wait.  What was that he was saying?  He was NOT the star so long expected?  Well, that’s a relief.  He was just there to work the kids into a frenzy.  And he was doing fairly well.  But it was all an opening act to the character behind the door.  And then, the door flew open and there he was.  The one we had all been waiting for.  Orbit, the mascot for the Houston Astros.  Not kidding.  He and Oscar entertained the kiddos for a while.  They played a game, read a book that revealed Orbit’s origin story (He’s an alien trapped in our universe, you know.  Only one of his kind.  Kind of like Mork from Ork), and closed out with an appeal for reading and staying in school.  They gave the library a few copies of the Orbit book, and then allowed every kid in the room to take a photo with good ol’ Orbit.  Cailyn even got his autograph on a softball.  Then all the cousins came over to our house for pizza.  Not a bad day for a couple of grandparents, don’t you think?

Psalms 86:15 says, “But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”

Father, thank you for all those kids who were so delighted to see the huge, fuzzy, antennaed creature.  Give them all many more happy days.  And bless Oscar and Orbit, too.  Help them stay hydrated and happy as well.  Amen.