Postscript, Michigan State

Unbothered.

That was how I entered Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

(And cold. It’s been a while since I’ve been in Champaign in November, and I misjudged the weather.)

A few months ago, my wife noticed that podcaster and comedian Theo Von was going to be at the State Farm Center this past Friday. She’s a fan, and so we talked about heading up for the show.

Ever the opportunist, I checked the schedule and, lo and behold, the Illini were going to be playing a home game the following day. What if we got a hotel room Friday night and made it a short getaway, I asked. The idea was met favorably, and plans were made.

One thing I’ve come to realize in the past year is how easy it is to lose your personal identity with small children. It happens almost invisibly — somewhere in the grind of trying to get your kids up, dressed, fed, out the door, then home, fed again and back in bed, you can forget that you used to have hobbies and interests. (Perhaps your own personality, even.)

So, weekends like this past one are important. To get to connect with your partner, go to a comedy show, sleep in, get coffee, cruise some thrift stores and go to a football game together — which is what we did, not mentioning the part where we stayed up until 11:30 p.m. watching a bad boxing match on my phone in a hotel bed — is vital to a healthy marriage, or at least to mine. It was wonderful.

(It also meant that I went to three home games this year and didn’t make it to see the fire truck once. Sorry, Robert.)

That was a big part of why I walked into Memorial Stadium relaxed on Saturday, but it wasn’t the only reason. I also just felt at ease with the game itself.