All — well, at least most — of Michigan and much of the football world outside the Great Lakes State roared in revelry when the Detroit Lions last Sunday squeaked out a win against the Los Angeles Rams for the Lions’ first playoff victory in 32 years.

We Northeast Michiganders joined them in that celebration.

And there, hidden among the sea of Honolulu blue at Ford Field for that game, sat Arron Wikaryasz, just another faceless Detroit fan until Lions quarterback Jared Goff took a knee and it became clear the Lions would secure the win. Then the camera just happened to pan to Wikaryasz and the whole world — the game was the most-watched NFL playoff game in decades — saw Wikaryasz crying happy tears as his team took one step closer to their first-ever Super Bowl.

Wikaryasz quickly became the face of Lions fans everywhere, that tearful image of him popping up across social media and on TV recaps of the game. He quickly went viral.

And a small part of Northeast Michigan went with him.

The downstate resident has ties to Alpena, with lots of family here. He visits the area frequently.

It’s easy to feel isolated here in Northeast Michigan. That’s part of the reason some of us live here, distant from any interstates.

But Wikaryasz’s story reminds us we’re all connected in many ways, the love of the Lions just one of them.

It’s good to be reminded of that from time to time.

Now, go beat Tampa Bay, dear Lions, so we can all roar again.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)