By Steve Holt, Opinion Editor

My dad taught me a game that his mom taught him when he was a kid. It’s called “If I had a dollar.” It goes something like this:

If I had a dollar …

* … for every time I asked head track and field coach Jon Murray, “How did you feel about our athletes’ performances this weekend?”

* … every time someone left early from Chapel;

* … every time I wanted to leave early when the worship leader began “Can He Still Feel The Nails?”, “Days of Elijah,” or “Get Right, Church.”

* … for every mouthful of pizza, forkful of Ramen and sip of Coke consumed each year in Mabee Hall;

* … for every lump of potatoes or casserole Mary Ann has served Bean patrons;

* … for every award Optimist staffers have won in the last 80 years;

* … for the total number of years Drs. Charlie Marler, Willard Tate and Tony Ash have been teaching on “The Hill;”

* … for every time I’ve been involved in a conversation about baptism, Chapel or pledging;

* … for every mile I’ve run around the campus or along the never-ending highways of Potosi and Tuscola (and an extra dollar for every mile former track and field star Alfred Rugema has notched!);

* … for every Sing Song ticket purchased in my time at ACU;

* … for every person who has gotten bent out of shape because of some aspect of the weekend-long “musical extravaganza” (Optimist reviews, long hours, club and class rivalries, and the list goes on…);

* … for every time the Tower of Light has rung out the old and familiar hymns each day at 10:50 a.m.;

* … for every time a Wildcat track and field athlete has won an individual or team national championship since the 1920s;

* … for every romance that has budded on or around the ACU campus;

* … for every time Steve Weathers has said a word nobody but he understands;

* … for every tuition dollar my parents have paid the university (I know, I know-then I’d break even);

* … for every time my alarm “didn’t go off” for an 8, 9 or 9:30 a.m. class (oh, did I forget 10 a.m.?);

* … for every self-proclaimed Republican on campus…and another one for those of whom are in reality apathetic about the political process;

* … for every time someone’s faith has been strengthened at ACU;

* … for every missionary, trained or not, who goes out from ACU to “Change the World” in his or her own way;

*… for every soul won for Christ as a result of this small, West Texas university or one of its students, faculty or alumni;

… I’d be one rich dude. And I am – thanks, Abilene Christian University.