Wednesday, Wednesday, July 11, 2018: “Manifest Destiny” by fine artist Opie Otterstad nears completion for its grand display at Minute Maid Park.
Remember the night all our ancient Houston Baseball Dreams came true? It was a starry, starry night in Los Angeles on November 1, 2017. The Houston Astros had just defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in a seven game World Series as the the 4-3 play from Altuve to Gurriel drove the final nail into the heart of all there was to any remaining blue hope as the final play.
A half second later, the scene depicted in “Manifest Destiny” cut loose, winding itself forever into our Houston psyche in so many similar and diverse ways. Houston baseball destiny had finally done it, sailing far above – and far over – the glorious rainbows of our own creation.
We may have still been “strangers in a strange land” emotionally – as far as the business of Houston and World Series victory were concerned – but now we had all the time in the world to get over that limited and forever from this day forth refuted limited perception of ourselves. All had now changed forever. And our challenge as Houstonians is to give everything right, loving, passionate, and creative we now do our best effort for as long as we draw the breath of life.
The 2017 Houston Astros are now the World Series Champions of Baseball – and in serious contention for a repeated crown in 2018. As fans of our local teams – and as industrious survivors of “Harvey” – we are Houston.
Being all he could be as Astros manager AJ Hinch’s bench coach in 2017 got Alex Cora the job of manager of the Boston Red Sox in 2018. That seems to be working out pretty well for him.
“Houston Strong” needs to thrive as a way of life, even when we are not working together to survive the immediate threat of a weather crisis. And our job is to give everything we do our best effort for as long as we live.
As a fiery phrase, Manifest Destiny gained popularity in 1845 from its use by journalist John L. O’Sullivan, who used the term to strongly advocate the annexation of Texas and Oregon into the Union, and in great alignment to the principles put forth earlier in the Monroe Doctrine.
Opie Otterstad has done well to choose Manifest Destiny for his title on the work that now, soon, and forever lives in glorious visible testament to that greatest moment in the history of Houston and Houston Astros joy. Houston is now free of a 55-year separation from its ultimate goal. The Houston Astros are – now and forever – the 2017 World Series Champions of the baseball world. And now we have tasted baseball goals accomplished to their point of highest completion. Our manifest destiny for this attainment has been harvested and tasted.
That painting is the picture of the very first delicious bite.
I also like the idea that our big World Series moment in Los Angeles on the night of November 1, 2017 also personifies our “manifest destiny” as individuals to simply live our lives to the fullest while we’re still here. And if we are not doing things in the name of love, to realize that we are missing out on our greatest possible personal destiny we could ever engage.
We need to be – all that we can be – and never settle for less. We all can’t be – or need to be – Jose Altuve. We just need to be all of who we are – and nothing less.
Thank you, Houston Astros and artist Opie Otterstad – for showing all of us both the way – and the light that shines forth from those paving the road.
Godspeed.
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Bill McCurdy
Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher
The Pecan Park Eagle
The Pecan Park Eagle 
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