Once, while travelling through Maine, I bought an eight-dollar University of Maine t-shirt simply because I had no more clean clothes. I liked it enough. It was blue (kind of my colour) with a growling black bear illustration on the chest. Nice enough.

When I returned to Los Angeles (where I was living at the time), I would wear that shirt now and again. Regularly, believe it or not, I was accosted by UMaine alumni:

“Black Bears? Black Bears!”

“UMaine?!”

When you didn't go to the school, it's a weird question to be asked. It's barely english. And these people were gesturing like they wanted to hug me - just waiting for me to woot or say something like “yeah, UMaine, baby!”

You can’t imagine their disappointment when I revealed that I was only wearing it because I don't pack well.

It’s particularly strange to a Canadian. North of the border, in my experience, I'll find out a person's toothpaste brand before I find out where they went to school.

Over these last several months, I’ve begun to feel that this irrational devotion to certain institutions is part of what explains the enthusiasm behind 44% of America that's infatuated with Donald Trump.

This is beginning to sound a little like a doctoral thesis. So, I’ll get back to you.

When I do, hopefully that lumpy-faced, racist baboon won’t be president.