The Wisdom of the Ellers

Was Karl Eller speaking to me at the Arizona Centennial Fandago! Gala? Perhaps he was speaking to you? With Stevie, his wife of nearly six decades, he confessed his gratitude for the Grand Canyon state. He told Fandango! guests that Arizona was the home that allowed his family to flourish and take on challenges.
With honesty and humility, Karl spoke about the ups and downs of his accomplishments. He recalled the hardships of the climb and openly thanked Arizona for being an incubator of new ideas.
“Optimism is the entrepreneur’s best friend,” he told the filled Phoenix Civic Center ballroom. With hope and encouragement we all stand to weather the storms of change. Karl reinvigorated my spirit with his observations. I believe that idealism has been the fuel that propelled the 48th state forward for the past 100 years.
Families crossed harsh landscapes to settle here. There was tremendous peril, physical and mental. To leave a life you know with all its foundations and move to a new place takes courage. Arizonans left their families, churches, even paved streets not to mention familiar patterns. These comforts were replaced by tremendous challenges. This took faith and hope in a new future.
So how do we move towards the next 100 years? There is a cadence of progress that occurs for those who have hope. Are we challenged by the negative or do we see around the corners and roadblocks that seem to pop up? Do we search for solutions and opportunities? Sure, it’s easy to complain. But in reality, it is much harder to dust yourself off and get back in the saddle. Perhaps this is where we are as a state at the dawn of the next 100 years.
Thank you, Karl Eller, for talking to me. You thought you were addressing 2,000 people in a darkened ballroom, but your message was really for me. I needed that cowboy boot kick in the pants, with a nudge towards looking at Arizona’s next 100 years with pride, delight and inspiration.
From the Heart …