Head downtown and you'll feel like you've walked into a holiday classic, with lights and displays and decorated window cases. Cary Grant and Loretta Young might as well be window shopping right there beside you.
Sometimes we forget about the haven of shops just a few miles from campus. True, the district isn't really booming like it was decades ago, and we can blame the economy for part of that decline. But part of the blame falls on us, too. This is our community, and we should embrace it.
And why not? This weekend, almost 10 shops will have significant student discounts, making it well worth your while for last-minute shopping.
After all, there is more to Muncie than the university, the mall and Walmart, more to the community than what's on McGalliard, more restaurants than Applebee's and Texas Roadhouse — and the holidays are a great time to start exploring that.
What if next time you ride the MITS downtown, you do more than hop on the next bus for the mall? Instead, you start at the bus station and walk in any direction you choose, down the streets full of old architecture — buildings with character that house interesting shops and restaurants.
Few of our professors actually live in Muncie, and few of us will stay here after we graduate to work and raise a family. But that doesn't mean we can't explore some of the opportunities we have here.
Instead of being jealous of our friends in Bloomington and Indianapolis, why not embrace the aspects of our community that make it special?
The holidays are about showing your love with special gifts, and downtown shops can be a great place to find them.
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