My mind has been wandering to May 16th. Not only will we be hosting a second night market with the city of Monroe to celebrate the completed pocket park and public restrooms, but we will also be planting the flowers in the 45 pots placed throughout downtown that morning.
On those Saturday mornings when we plant the flowers, I find myself especially at ease. The air is cooler than it seems like it should be, which makes the black coffee with just a touch of cream I buy on the east side of the square taste that much better. I am often comforted seeing market vendors in their jackets after having just pulled mine out of the closet.
Being downtown at 8 a.m. on a mid-May Saturday is a good time for people watching. People are starting their days; slowly and earnestly…meeting at the coffee shops, exploring produce at the farmers market. There is purpose, but no anxiety. Downtown is coming to life, but the buzz has not yet started. No one is aimless; just enjoying the present moment. The square is relatively quiet and as more and more people arrive, I am in awe of how peaceful the scene remains.
The farmers market will be in its third week on May 16th which means there will be live entertainment interspersed with the various vendors on the north and east sides of the square. That may draw your attention. And we hope it does. But if you look out to the outer lanes, you will notice people of all ages carrying trowels and clipboards, pulling wagons, sweeping sidewalks, focused on flowers.
What is less obvious in those moments is how much those people on the outer lanes shape what we all feel downtown in the spring. Every year since at least the streetscape was redone, if not before, volunteers from GFWC Monroe Woman’s Club have partnered with Main Street to bring flowers to life downtown. Over the years assistance has come from 4-H clubs in the area, our design committee, and even the occasional passerby who simply decided to stop and help.
Volunteering is a decision in what kind of community we want to live in. The reasons vary. When I ask those with the various tools working on the flower pots, I get answers like “wanting to give back,” or the “pride that comes from downtown being full of life.” The children riding in wagons sometimes explain it more simply, “my mom is making me.” It is a group effort from clubs, retirees, students. A longtime volunteer quietly takes responsibility for watering all of the pots after everything has been planted. He helps with just about everything. Someone new shows up with fresh energy and enthusiasm.
Recognition is often rare but deeply deserved. In my time in Monroe, I have sought to express my thanks in many ways. A lot of times now, I am just at a loss for words.
But as I keep envisioning how May 16th will play out, from the arrival of the flowers to the end of the night market, I know that there will be countless acknowledgments from attendees, those of you who pause to notice the work being done, those of you who are getting involved yourself. Those moments build something harder to measure, but easy to feel: a sense of belonging. A shared pride. A community that shows up.
Thank you to all of you who are deciding, every day, what kind of community we get to live in. And if you have been thinking about getting involved, I hope you will pause on May 16th and join in.
— National Volunteer Week runs April 19th to 25th. Jordan Nordby is the executive director for Main Street Monroe. He can be reached at MonroeMainStreet@tds.net. Anyone interested in finding out more, including on how to volunteer, can at mainstreetmonroe.org.
