In the wake of the recent fallout at The Golden Triangle Link, I find myself scratching my head. I can’t help but wonder if we direct our attention to the wrong things. Not only do we hang on to every bit of gossip pertaining to the scandal that rocked that fancy new building out by the airport, but we also tend to put that organization on a pedestal.

Don’t get me wrong. Their pedestal has been well-earned. I think prosperous and beneficial things have come to the GTA by way of the LINK. Just take a drive out to the airport exit and look around. The booming sea of industry speaks for itself, and a significant amount of its voice was made heard by the LINK.

But industry and manufacturing are not for me. They are essential and have their place, just not in my heart. Guys like me prefer the artistic and creative side of life. I like old buildings and unique landscapes. Coffee shops, bookstores and boutiques are what make me happy. I firmly believe in mom-and-pop operations and that small businesses are a springboard for dreams. I’ll trade the smell of brick-oven pizza for burning steel any day of the week.

What matters to me is right downtown. All the things I love, especially this time of year, come to fruition in a little unassuming office right next to a coffee shop on Fifth Street. I’m talking about Main Street Columbus – the little organization that could.

Before I go any further, let me clear the air. For those of you who know me, you know that my wife has served on the board of Main Street Columbus and acted as president as well. So let me stop you before I’m accused of bias. Biased… I am anything but.

More times than I can count, my marital bliss has flown right into turbulence in the jet stream of volunteer work. As I’ve said before, I can be a bit selfish at times. So when I’m volun-told rather than volunteering of my own volition, I tend to wallow in self-pity and occasionally throw a tantrum or two. That being said, I developed an acquired taste for my small role in helping out. Whether it was working the VIP area at Market Street or collecting voting boxes at Wassail Fest, the ends managed to justify the means.

So many of the events we take for granted wouldn’t take place without MSC. The Christmas parade, for one, is a time-honored tradition that segues our spirit into the holidays. I remember when the parade was no more than a few floats and low-rider trucks with booming sound systems. Although the low riders added a certain “je ne sais quoi,” they pale in comparison to the Holiday Extravaganza that we witness today.

Depending on the schedule each year, Wassail Fest is either before or after the parade, but usually within a week’s time. It really is a unique event. Droves of patrons descend upon the streets of downtown to enjoy small cups of merriment. Each individual store, boutique or restaurant vies for the honor of best wassail. The smell and taste of cinnamon, citrus and allspice while walking among the old buildings of Columbus seems to take you back to a simpler time – if only just for an evening.

I grew up on the south side of Columbus. After high school, I was away for a while and returned as an adult. I now reside on the very street where I grew up, College Street. I watch the Christmas parade from my front porch every year with friends, family and a bowl full of chili. Years ago, I did the exact same thing on my parents’ front porch just a couple of blocks away.

Downtown is vital. It should matter to all of us. Main Street is literally and figuratively the main artery of the city. Luckily for us, ours has a pulse.

We all love the holidays and the nostalgia that comes along. While still searching for that feeling myself, I had something else written for this week. It was prose more suited to my occasional “Bah Humbug” disposition. That is, until the other night, when I exited the roundabout and crested the hill by the Tennessee Williams Home. I felt like I was in a Hallmark movie. Sunny 93.3 was playing “Silver Bells” as I passed the yellow saw horses just waiting to block off the streets for the parade and Wassail Fest. I began to anticipate the magic that one week held, and it was happening on our little Main Street that matters.

So while the suits wring their hands and clutch their pearls just west of town, let’s tip our hats to the Main People who make our downtown so full of cheer. Let your heart be light, and always remember: Our Main Street matters, because what matters is on Main Street.

Clay Bowen is a Columbus native who cooked professionally as a chef in fine dining for 12 years and appeared on the third season of Top Chef. He is also a licensed landscape horticulturist. Email him at [email protected].

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