By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Chris Geist is a man on a mission. He and his wife, Jean, were in downtown Bowling Green for Shop Small Business, Saturday morning.
Striding down the street he was carrying bags with tools from Ace, a sweater from Eden Fashion Boutique, and toys for Ben’s. This is not unusual for the Geist family, they always try to get what they can downtown.
But this year, concerns about COVID-19 put a little extra giddy-up in his step and sanitizer on his hands.
Like many people on the street Saturday, he wanted to spread some holiday spirit among local businesses. They could use it as they’ve had to cope with back to back years of major disruption, first from downtown construction that had the street ripped up and then from COVID-19, that first closed many of them down and continues to put a crimp in commerce.
But then the pandemic has put a crimp in holiday celebrations in general.
Amanda Flowers, who works in the Bowling Green State University financial aid office, said the holidays will be “a lot smaller version.”
Her father who comes from a large family, has sisters who are nearing their 70s, and they needed to cancel.
She’s sorry that she’ll miss one of the only times during the year that she’s able to see and catch up with all her cousins. “It’s a disappointment.”
One of the reasons Flowers enjoys shopping downtown is the family atmosphere with frequent casual encounters with people she knows.
Jessica Wilson, a college student visiting over break, said of her family’s Thanksgiving: “We definitely had a lot less people.”
The few relatives attending wore masks and ate at different tables. The festivities included a Zoom call to her sister who lives in southern Ohio.
Wilson said she was enjoying being back in Bowling Green. Though she lives in Toledo she appreciates the small town atmosphere and the distinctive products on sale.
She and her friend Lily Krueger were having a coffee outside at Grounds for Thought. Krueger, a Bowling Green High graduate, is now a senior a John Carroll University outside of Cleveland.
She loves that even though she left town four years ago, people still remember her. They even know what her preferred coffee beverage is.
Krueger said the outfit she was wearing was bought at Mode Elle Boutique on the Four Corners. Her wardrobe, she said, comes from there and from Eden Fashion Boutique. “My wardrobe is created by them. I’ll come home to build up my closet.”
And after coffee she was planning to head over to pick up her engagement ring from Waddington’s Jewelry. Krueger said she wouldn’t have considered getting it anywhere else.
For Krueger, the holiday celebrations are smaller in scope. Instead of Thanksgiving starting in the morning by watching the parade and continuing until dessert in the evening, the visit was limited to dinner time. She expects that’s what will happen a Christmas as well.
Deb Shaffer of Bowling Green said some of her family will be flying in for Christmas, though the holiday will be scaled back. Older relatives, she said, are the most leery of flying.
And there’s no more last minute gatherings with friends. Everything has to be planned with the needed precautions taken into account.
Shaffer said she was intrigued by hearing about people who still cooked up large meals on Thanksgiving and then delivered to other people. That’s a wonderful way to keep the holiday spirit going, she said.
After the struggles downtown businesses have endured, she was encouraged to see the number of customers at Ben’s, where she found the robot she was wanted for he grandson.
Ashley Rader, who was out shopping with her daughter Riley, was looking to buy locally. In the past several years, she’s gotten tickets for outings for her family. “experiences,” Riley said. Last year it was tickets to “The Lion King.” But that didn’t happen.
So, she’s changing her approach. “I’m purposely finding some gifts with a cause. There’s some different businesses that give back to charity.”
For Keeps had mittens with the proceeds going to The Cocoon, for example.
For Riley, a self-described “social butterfly,” the whole year of online learning has been trying. It’s difficult to learn chemistry when you can’t do the labs in person, the BGHS sophomore said.
She knows some students who were struggling before the pandemic and now are failing. Others now need glasses to combat eye strain from spending so much time staring at a screen.
While being home can be relaxing at times, she said, other times “you just kind of feel stuck because you can’t go anywhere.”
Christmas will be welcomed.
“I’m just looking forward to the feelings the holiday gives you, just peaceful and full of joy,” Riley said. “That’s what we need right now. Just looking forward to being with family and relaxing and just being present in the moment.”
