So I went into Serramonte Mall today to get a Lions jersey for the game tomorrow. I haven't been in a mall in literally years and it was such a different experience from what I'm used to that I felt like an alien down from the mothership. Judging by the looks I was getting, other people agreed that's how I looked.

On my way into Sports City, I noticed that the dude in front of me had a Lions jacket on. When I got into the store, I told the girl behind the counter that I wanted a Lions jersey, any player. She gave me an "uh, the Lions?" and a blank stare. That's when the dude with the jacket came over and said "yeah! me too!"

While the manager came over to rescue the poor, befuddled girl who obviously couldn't believe that we weren't looking for Niners jerseys, the dude and I got to talking. "You going to the game tomorrow?" "Gotta support the Lions, no one else is..." That sort of thing. He and I both wound up with Calvin Johnson jerseys and then he told the manager that he needed jerseys for his sons (whom he had in tow) as well.

The manager obviously thought that we'd come in together because she tucked both of our jerseys behind the counter and went off to help him with the junior ones. The dude was all "No, we're not together! Go ring him up, I'll wait!" I thanked him, genuinely, for letting me get rung up and out of there and he said "Hey, anything for a fellow fan!"

It was pretty fucking cool, all around. There I was in full space alien trim and at the goddamn mall drawing stares, and this guy never batted an eye. It was so nice for a change to have a "normal person" look past my appearance and focus on the fact that, hey, we DO have something in common.