I'm checking you out, Muskegon ... Do you see what I see?

A random neighborhood sidewalk? Not bad, Muskegon, not bad.

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” --Marcel Proust

So, Muskegon, summer has come early, but the water’s still too cold to swim and there aren’t any big events planned for this weekend. Maybe your friends are busy, or maybe you don’t have the time or funds to go anywhere yet...

This is where living in a beautiful place full of distinctive neighborhoods comes in. I know, I know, you know your neighborhood inside-out … but do you really? Have you stopped to admire the flowers blossoming or talk to the neighbors out and about? Have you walked the back roads – they’re really quite gorgeous here (no, seriously) – or wandered into a nearby park?

Chances are, you haven’t done much exploring of your own neighborhood of late. Maybe you walk the dog or take jogs, but when is the last time you noticed something new, whether it’s nature, people, or activities? I have recently been discovering many, many things I overlooked in both of the area neighborhoods I lived in, each for years …

It’s just human nature to seek out the bigger, the “better,” the more well-known, the different … but this is what I’ve learned after more than three decades of chasing the most exciting places: They all get old, if you let them. The grass really isn’t greener – it’s just different. Sometimes it isn’t even grass. Yes, no doubt some big event is going on in New York City or Chicago this weekend. But guess what, Muskegon? Odds are, the people who live there aren’t even going to go. They’ve seen it, done it, and the only way it stays fresh and interesting is if they put the energy into making it that way…

So, Muskegon, go explore your neck of the woods this weekend – and I mean really explore it. Look for something new, talk to someone new, take a different path or road or alley. After all, all of the festivals around here – or anywhere – started out by celebrating something homegrown. Make your own festival this weekend, Muskegon. Your neighborhood awaits … Happy exploring.

--Imaginer