Reflections on the Past Year

By Kelly Larson
Main Street Architect
Michigan Main Street Center
State Historic Preservation Office/Michigan Department of History, Arts, and Libraries

With the holidays and the New Year just around the corner, everywhere you turn there seems to be some important and reputable media outlet reflecting on the past year. For example, Time magazine's "Person of the Year", the Today Show's "Top News Stories of 2008", and (MOST important of all) VH1's "Top 100 Videos of 2008".

So, since I’m equally as important and reputable, I thought I would do the same thing. I’m extremely lucky to be in a job where I get to experience the power of volunteers and the difference they make on a daily basis. Although this is certainly not a complete list, here a very few of the top “warm fuzzy” feelings I’ve had over the past year when in our Main Street communities:

5. Being asked “How could I become a Main Street Manager?” – I loved being a Main Street Manager. But because of that, I feel like I never adequately express what it’s like to have the job. Most of the time I feel as though I’m just rambling on and on and the listener is really thinking about going to the store and buying dog food. But every once in a while, I can tell I’ve captured someone’s attention. They get a little twinkle in their eye, they stand a little taller, and they ask, “How could I become a Main Street Manager?”

4. Finding a new “best meal ever!!!” – You know how you walk into a restaurant you’ve never been to before, the place is full, people are laughing, and you’re getting a good vibe but you question if the food can live up to the atmosphere. You order, the food comes, you take your first bite and suddenly the world stands still and you forget your own name. That happens to me a lot. From the steak chimichangas at Carmalita’s in Calumet, to the hot pastrami sandwich at Pastrami Joe’s in Marshall, to the breakfast sandwich at Goody’s Juice and Java in Manistee, to the wraps at the Kirby Grill in Grand Haven, to the black cherry pie at the Herrick House in Clare, to the chocolate candies at Veni’s Candies in Niles …..God I love this job!

3. Listening to a Main Street Manager the day after a big event – Okay, maybe not the day after a big event (a manager is probably staring at the wall, clutching a cup of coffee, and trying to remember why they feel like they’ve been run over). But a week after a big event, listening to a Main Street Manager talk about the event is always inspiring. They’re usually filled with stories of seeing bigger crowds than the downtown has seen in a long time, new volunteers helping and wanting to get involved on committees, some sort of catastrophe narrowly diverted, and realizing that all of their hard work has made a difference.

2. When the new Main Street volunteer becomes a Main Street Teacher – Laura and I have been all over the state talking about Main Street and providing training to volunteers about their roles and responsibilities, developing work plans, building local support, yada yada yada. We go blue in the face talking about this stuff. So you can imagine how my heart warmed when we were in Scottville providing committee training and a new Main Street volunteer asked a question. Before Laura and I could answer, several other volunteers (just as new to the program) started talking and explaining the answer. It was as if they were ol’ pros at this stuff. I must have felt how a parent feels the day their kid goes off to college. They grow up so fast!

And…

1. Hearing the winning song of the Boyne City Song Contest for the first time - Perhaps it was the beautiful mid-June weather, perhaps it was the smell of cut grass and the fresh breeze coming off Lake Charlevoix, or perhaps it was several hundred people gathered together in Old City Park to celebrate the 5th birthday of the Boyne City Main Street program….whatever it was, the moment was perfect. When Tom Monley walked up to the gazebo and played his song “America’s Home Town” for the first time, I think several hundred people got goose-bumps all at the same time. The song captured the place and the people perfectly. Talk about warm fuzzies!

I hope all of you have a very happy holiday!