The things you will do for love

Do you know what that is? Come on, I specifically know of one of you who knows what it is.

Here's another one. Yep, they are unisex. Probably a fashion crime as well. Actually, I am certain they are a fashion crime.

Yep, they are cheese heads. That is my sweetie there wearing his Green Bay Packers T-shirt. I should actually say one of his numerous Packers Tees. He is a die hard, deep in the blood, Packer's fan. It's a genetic condition. His parents were born and raised in Wisconsin. Although he did tell me that there are in fact people from Wisconsin who are Bears and Vikings fans. Not many, but a few. In fact there are even football atheists in Wisconsin. Gasp.

As it turns out, the Packers were playing the Panthers in Charlotte yesterday. These are things that ordinarily do not excite me in the least little bit. You see, I am in the football atheist camp. I have never been to a football game. I have never watched a football game. I do not understand football. Except for Aussie rules footie. Then I am all over it. Brisbane Lions, if you must know. I know, Melbourne girl should have been barricking for Carlton but we in North Fitzroy held a rather fierce loyalty to the Lions. But I digress.

So late Saturday night, Peter says the Packers are playing in Charlotte. I'm like, yeah? That's interesting. Have you ever seen the Packers play? Nope, I've never been to an NFL game.

So here's where the things you do for love comes in. I have never ever wanted to go to a football game in any league or city or whatever. Except of course for Aussie rules. And that I preferred in the local with a pint watching it on the telly. I do not understand grid iron. I like basketball. I can even take a lovely nap to baseball. But grid iron? I just don't get it. These huge guys out there knocking each other around? I just don't get it.

So much to my surprise, I said, honey, can you still get tickets? I'll go with you.

Yesterday, I find myself on the road to Charlotte. I find myself in the Bank of America Stadium. I walk up a series of ramps that are like hiking out of the Grand Canyon on the Bright Angel trail (which I enjoyed much more than the stadium). I find myself in a huge crowd of people. I loathe crowds. I actually have panic attacks in crowds. I am surrounded by cheese heads and panthers on all sides. Not a pretty picture. Early on there was a testosterone induced battle for space supremacy. I hate that. I hate guys shouting at each other and threatening each other. I question, why am I here? I just lost a week of studio time last week to massive headaches and now I am here?

But tell you what, this was a great day. Peter was over the moon going to an NFL game and getting to see the Packers play. He hooted and shouted and whooped it up. It was fantastic to see him really enjoy this. It was fantstic to see the camradery of the fans (both teams). Complete strangers but just enjoying the game together. Doing all this shouting and high fiving with each other. Granted,  I felt like I was in a foreign country and didn't speak the language. Peter is a pretty good interpreter though.

Even more surprising though is that I actually enjoyed the game. I  made some little whoops of my own. I'm a quiet person and public whoops are not something you might expect out of me. So I think that maybe this opening yourself up to do something different is a very good thing.

Nope probably not going to become a big football fan anytime soon. But I am so happy to have opened myself up to an experience that I would never expected to have done. Not in my wildest dreams. And to share it with Peter was the best. I think sometimes the things you set out to do for love end up being the things that are best for you.

BTW, the Packers won. Go Pack Go.