I do 100 push-ups every morning.

I'm not bragging...because that's all I do in the way of exercise.  I don't run, I don't lift weights, and I don't do pilates.  I just do push-ups.  It impresses me when I hear how some folks work out every day and can walk across the living room to get the TV remote without getting short of breath.  That's not me...I only do push-ups.  100 of them.

I started this regimen about a year ago.  The first day I tried it I did 20 push-ups and was sore for three days afterward.  Slowly I worked up to 50 and then to 60 and figured there was no way I could ever do more.  About three weeks ago I reached 100 for the first time.  This is a level I never thought possible, but to be honest with you, I have now reached a point where I can't even imagine a time when 20 was all I could do.  It seems like a lifetime ago and is a level I never plan to return to either.

I relate this to Enid today.

A few weeks ago, Darius Rucker held a concert in Enid.  I never thought we would reach a level in town where Hootie would be here in the flesh and performing.  Then we got the word last week that Reba McEntire will be here in June.  Our level of expectation is continuing to rise...which is a good thing.

We can no longer expect "B" level talent.

We can no longer expect corner nodes in downtown that aren't beautiful.

We can no longer expect limited shopping options.

We can no longer expect a "typical" HS baseball stadium and basketball arena.

We can no longer expect dilapidated school facilities. 

We can no longer expect center medians that don't have beautiful crepe myrtles blooming in them.

We can no longer expect to be a community without a direction and a unified marketing front.

We've seen what we are capable of, and just like an athlete, our expectations for performance should continue to rise.

In the past few weeks, we have had the engineers in Enid for the billion dollar Koch Nitrogen Plant expansion discussing their construction timeline and permitting process which is still going according to plan.  We have had the leadership team in town from the Northstar AgriIndustries canola processing plant finalizing their construction timeline for later this year as well.  We had the official announcement this week on the power purchase agreement for the new 100 MW wind farm east of Enid which will allow construction to move along more quickly.  And we are seeing two new housing developments moving dirt on Oakwood and on Cleveland.  Growth is coming, and we should expect nothing less.

My expectation for myself and my community are reaching new levels every month.  I'm starting to think I can do 200 pushups.....I wonder what level Enid will reach?

Executive Director