Saturday, September 23, 2006

Go Big R...

In my musings about big red barns, I forgot that we were also going to encounter something else big and red in Nebraska: Husker Mania! Yikes.

It is a rather bewildering thing to behold: THOUSANDS of Nebraskan adults and kids, decked out in red, making their way hours early to the stadium for the big Husker's game. It creates one of the largest "cities" in Nebraska while the game is in progress, and makes it nearly impossible to go downtown to a restaurant, etc (where signs on lampposts include a big red N and the words "The Power of Red"). Husker mania is truly like a religion here (but not knocking the Big G off his peak, of course). I learned that early while living In a small town near Lincoln, just by reading the sign in the grocery store that read: Jesus is Lord over Nebraska (written in red letters, of course). The Huskers rank right up there, which is why the store was also broadcasting the came over their soundsystem for the few shoppers who didn't stay home to watch the big game.

It was quite a little, ah, sociology observation experience for a young, single woman from liberal MN. I didn't really fit in, and it's kind of bizarre to be back visiting this place now, from my more settled "real" life. Thank goodness it ended up to be in MN, not in the land of the Husker! But just to not jinx the rest of our trip out of Nebraska: Go Big Red!

1 comment:

Deb said...

My stepdaughter is in graduate school in Huskerville; so far I don't think her Minnesotan mind has been perverted by football-mania. :)

Nice musings on barns; I often think I should go around and take photos of the ones I like before they're gone forever. I, too, wish I had one already on my land.