When I was first asked to write this column back in the spring of 2019, I was told by the then editor of the paper that I had free reign on topics and that editing would be minimal. She did state, though, that the best columns are ones where the writer tells a story. Over the last two and a half years, there have been many things that have lined up timing wise to write about. From LIVE! shopping nights to new summer themes, I’ve wanted to tell a story that goes with each topic. But I’ve also wanted to touch on community development in all its facets and what exactly Main Street Monroe is doing and how it fits into goals and a longer-term picture. As I write this, that original suggestion is especially top of mind this month.
Why is that? I think it’s because downtown Monroe, no matter the subject and no matter the goal, is all about telling stories and that is never truer than during the Christmas season. It’s often repeated but shopping local keeps more money in the community. There are huge economic impacts to that, of course, but it also means the stories are more personal, more interconnected.
Any store will tell you why they carry the items they do and what it means to them. When we buy gifts, we will share how we decided on that particular item or color. When my mom opens a robe from me and my brothers on Christmas Eve, she will hear about how the owner of JoAnne’s Dress Shop’s sister held the item and helped select the best color and the right wrapping paper.
During the Lighted Parade two Fridays ago, I was spoke with a family whose youngest son is six years old and attends St. Vic’s. He had with him an elf that was staying with the family for the week. As part of the assignment, he then had to write about all the things they did. Not only did they see Santa at the parade, but they also got hot chocolate under the lighted tree, heard carolers, and got a great stuffed tiger immediately following the parade at the Tuesday Noon Optimists’ Meet and Greet at WI Bank & Trust. Of course, he exclaimed that he knows that’s not the real Santa, but in a moment straight out of Home Alone, immediately said that he knows this Santa just works for the real one!
At our monthly Events & Promotions meeting this past Monday, store owners shared memories of questioning Santa’s existence as children, too, only to be amazed by what transpired. When they returned home from church service to discover sleigh tracks in the snow and what they were positive were reindeer prints next to the garage. Similarly, as an 11-year-old, someone shared that living in rural Illinois with the closest family members two hours away, his family would come after looking at neighboring Christmas lights for an hour to find that Santa had delivered all of the presents. Faith in Santa and the magic of the season was restored!
They would find out many years later that a group of neighboring children had gotten too close to the house on an actual sled as a dog ran with them while the family was at mass and an older sister knew that but never said a word. And that rural Illinois neighborhood? All the neighbors helped each other out by looking at lights at different times and putting each other’s gifts under the tree. But the magic of those moments has not been tarnished. Each had huge smiles on their face recounting moments that happened by chance. The magic remains. And it grows. This season is about drawing together in shared spaces and making memories that will become stories to be told. Whether it becomes apparent today or in the following weeks and months, I hope being downtown helps you tell a story and cherish the magic of the season. Thanks for letting me and everyone downtown help tell their story each and every day.
— Jordan Nordby is the executive director for Main Street Monroe. He can be reached at MonroeMainStreet@tds.net. Complete details on Main Street Monroe and its efforts can be found at mainstreetmonroe.org.
