It’s the Final Countdown
Nope. Not the Europe Song from the 80’s. Good guess though… I appreciate your enthusiasm for 80’s music!
It’s here. We have some dates for upcoming information sessions, we have a contractor identified as the low bidder for the project, some businesses have made upgrades to their secondary entrances; Yes- Main Street 2020 is here.
#TheBigDig #TheMainEvent #MainStreet2020
This is what everyone has prepared for, the season of unknowns, the season we go from busy Main Street/Highway 15 traffic to no traffic, the season also known as road construction, but wait… it’s happening here, not to someone else.
This is our community being affected. Our local business owners planning for lower revenues. Our friends, neighbors, and family members who will likely have anxiety or stress because of what we don’t know.
HOW CAN WE ALL HELP?
The MOST important piece of this, is to STILL go to these businesses.
Be positive about the adjustments, be positive to others when talking about the project.
What isn’t important: parking somewhere different, walking a little farther than we are used to.
What is important: keeping our local businesses open throughout and after construction, sending encouragement messages, sharing positive ideas.
You may or may not know I had back surgery six years ago. Oh boy, that was hard. Before surgery, I could literally be stopped mid step by agonizing nerve pain that simply cannot be described. It was clear the only way to alleviate the constant pain, the spirals of agony, was to have surgery. I had surgery in early March, the onset of spring. I was in the hospital for 4 days, then my family and I were trained on how I should walk, sit, lay down, and get into a vehicle, before I could leave the hospital. Then, I was home, for six weeks, without going outside. Nope, ice was dangerous. I followed every rule and guideline they prepared me with. (there was a 1.5” book they gave me) The biggest rules were not to bend-lift-twist… for 3 months. Think about this the next time you sit in a chair, lay down in bed or use the bathroom. This time comes back to me frequently when I talk about this Main Street Project. It was hard. It hurt. I was surrounded by positive people who came to sit, or lay down, or walk with me in my house. (the house laps are another conversation) and then… I could leave the house! Then I could move freely when the ice was gone, then I could walk longer. Soon, I was able to go back to work, and finally, after three hard months, I could bend-lift-twist. It was slow, but I was stronger, better, faster, and pain-free.
So my analogy is this…. like surgery, the project is necessary to maintain our services at a high level of reliability. It will have some pain associated with it, but when the road is re-opened, it will be completed and done for many years, it will work better for all of us, and we’ll take it for granted within no time. A year from now we’ll be smiling that it is done, and six years from now, we’ll be so grateful we had it done when we did.
Yes, I had some sad days, and frustrating days, this project will too, but I can GUARANTEE you, if you put on a smile, and share a kind word or gesture with someone who is going through this project directly affected on Main Street, it will make a difference, and make it an easier road to the finish line. And soon, like Willie Nelson sings, we’ll be “On the Road Again!”
Be watching for many updates to come by visiting our website www.explorehutchinson.com and click on the Main Street 2020 icon.
