gotta have faith

i have posted several times before about my love for my home state of louisiana and the nostalgia i feel for the sights and sounds of home. perhaps it's never been as strong as it is now as the new orleans saints prepare to go to the super bowl for the first time in their history. i think that those of us who grew up accustomed to the spontaneous eating, drinking, dancing, and partying of the region were even a little surprised when this happened after the championship playoff game.

you have to understand that for years, a losing season was just the norm around new orleans. when i was growing up, my neighbor used to say that the saints would never have a winning season or go to the super bowl because it was sacrilegious to name a sports team after something so sacred as a saint. in fact, a long time sportscaster in the new orleans area popularized the nickname "the aints" and encouraged fans to wear bags over their heads to endure the embarrassment of always losing. this sportscaster passed away before he could make good on his promise to wear a dress and dance in the streets on the day that the saints made it to the super bowl. thank goodness that many others could step in on his behalf!

you may think you understand the excitement...but really, this feeling goes a lot deeper than football. the excitement that you see is not just the culmination of all those years of having faith that someday this team would pull off a super bowl bid. it's also - on some level - an affirmation of the hope and faith that so many louisianians have held on to in the last few uncertain years. i won't try to explain it myself because this does such a better job. i'll just suffice it to say that when i am cheering on my saints during sunday's game, i will remain mindful that common miracles do still happen. you just have to stay hopeful and above all else, you gotta have faith.

grace and peace and who dat,
dana