Musings - on the editor's mind

Krista Sunday asks for a little love for Morris Street and offers a litany of benign neglect. Sounds like Morris Street could use a lot of love. Love starts with listening, with attention to the other. And love is self-generated. Self-love starts with believing in, advocating for and championing the self.

Morris Street merchants, believing in themselves and their cause, will do well to consider that time honored American tradition of organizing. They don’t need to march with pitchforks to Town Hall, but they do need a plan.

I have some ideas. I will share them with Morris Street merchants. First, I will sit down with them and listen. They have a variety of stories to tell, surely. Everyone needs to feel heard as well as be heard.

For back of the napkin dreaming, what about a pet parade? Leavenworth has an annual dog parade. La Conner is inclusive, so whether hamsters, cats or birds, bring them on – dogs too, of course. Since chickens march in Edison, let’s trek a zooful of critters on Morris Street, maybe.

Maybe recruiting Breadfarm down from Edison to have a retail space on Morris Street will make a lot of people happy. Maybe the right retail space has lots of seating for coffee and conversation, even for meetings of town folks, merchants or not.

I muse here, but folks have to talk, decide, plan and act from whatever street they work on or live. My deciding and acting brought me to a Third Street address in La Conner. I promote my business. I find it helpful to promote others, to the benefit of all parties – when folks agree.

The thing about love, openly shared, meant for the receiver: it comes back to the giver. All parties benefit. Maybe that is why the Kiwanis and Rotary leadership go around smiling. The results they bring makes them feel good.