It’s not that Bowling Green is insignificant, but most of us who live around here generally don’t expect the city to draw much outside attention.

Perhaps it’s time to change our expectations.

I ran an errand at lunchtime Wednesday. It was one of those pristine, cool, cloudless afternoons inside the summer-fall buffer zone, the kind of day that makes almost any location – not just this town – seem like the most desirable spot in the universe.

Although I’m downtown every day, I was struck Wednesday, as if for the first time, by how lovely the area has become. Since I moved back to southcentral Kentucky five years ago, construction has bounced from one block to another in the immediate vicinity of the Daily News’ building, the constant work somewhat obscuring the big picture.

Last week, however – aided by the clarity of sun-soaked late September, as well as by the gradual receding of heavy machinery and safety fencing – I got a glimpse of the big picture. Now, I’m not one to be outwardly enthusiastic about much of anything, but seriously: From SKyPAC to Bowling Green Ballpark to Circus Square and Fountain Square parks to the parking garage to the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce and points in between, our downtown looks pretty awesome.

Coincidentally, mere moments after my BG epiphany, so to speak, I returned to my desk and came across the “love letter” to Bowling Green written by songwriter and BG resident Dan Murph for Huffington Post. (To read Murph’s thoughts, in which he describes Bowling Green as “a small place with gigantic aspirations,” go to huff.to/P01mnD).

Murph’s letter was published on a major national website only days after Western Kentucky University’s football team garnered nationwide attention for its thrilling victory over the University of Kentucky.

That game came on the heels of Bowling Green-based U.S. Sen. Rand Paul speaking at the Republican National Convention, which came on the heels of “American Idol” visiting Fountain Square Park.

So, maybe we don’t expect Bowling Green to draw too much attention, but lately, at least, the city has been hard to ignore. Which is interesting in terms of timing; last week, Bowling Green celebrated the 200th anniversary of the city’s incorporation. Amid so much focus on Bowling Green’s past, the city seems positioned as well as ever to maximize its future. Look around downtown, around WKU, around our K-12 facilities, around our infrastructure – this city is not sitting idly by as time creeps past.

I wonder if recent events have inspired you to experience Bowling Green anew, or at least to perceive the city from a fresh angle. Is random chance responsible for the publicity our city has received in recent weeks, or does the attention suggest something more substantial is afoot?

And what of BG’s future – how do we best capitalize on the momentum, and how do we envision Bowling Green in, say, 2212?

I’m legitimately interested in your thoughts, so send them my way. Emails, phone calls, tweets – I don’t care how you do it. If I receive enough response, I’ll revisit this subject in a future column and will incorporate your perspectives. And you don’t have to cheerlead.

The city has come a long way in 200-plus years, but work undoubtedly remains. If something needs fixing – physically, politically or culturally – let’s talk about that, too.

No topic is too small or too gigantic, to borrow Murph’s words, and there’s no deadline. If you have a BG epiphany of your own to share, pass it along, and we’ll see if we can bring the big picture into even greater focus.

— Daniel Pike is assistant managing editor for the Daily News. His column appears on Sundays. He may be reached at 783-3276, at dpike@bgdailynews. com or on Twitter@DPikeBGDN.