Ride in the Firetruck

Hey Chris,

Thanks for writing this blog post and also working on writing Nellie's
book. I don't have any great stories with Nellie, but one little one.

I started PLU football under unusual circumstances as I applied and was
accepted into PLU after my senior year of high school with every
intention of playing EMAL football, but first I took a year off and went
to Argentina as an exchange student. During that year, Frosty announced
his retirement and Swesty ended up getting the nod to be head coach. I
kept in touch with my best friend from high school Jens Gilbertson, who
was going through his bomber year, and told him to make sure the coaches
knew I was coming back to PLU to play football the next year. He went
one step further and talked Nellie into letting me come to to the summer
bomber trip in Montana. We stayed at the Averill Flathead Lake Lodge
and part of the trip included riding some fire trucks up the mountain
for a country BBQ dinner. Nellie had really only know me for a few days
but trusted me enough to let me lift him up into the front seat of the
antique firetruck and put my arm around him as a seat belt to hold him
in place on the bumpy ride up the hill. Even though Nellie and I never
had the close relationship that he shared with many other EMALs, this
gesture was a testament to Nellie's unique ability to put his trust in
others, even if he didn't know them well. I know its not the same as
helping shower or use the bathroom, but that moment stood out for me.

I'll see you on Sunday at the service.

Carl Field
EMAL #78 '08

What Nellie Taught our Family..in Las Vegas, Nevada...

    

    We met John Nelson just 5 short years ago. My dear friends, the Black family from Las Vegas, Nevada, just happened to be at the Montana Lake the same time Nellie was. Kathy called me and she said "Vicki, at the end of the dock we see a man that looks like your son, Stephen." I said, "Kathy, that is impossible. Stephen has arthrogryposis and it is a one out of 300, 000 chance you are  born with that  birth defect." She finally approached this man and confirmed the unthinkable. That he had the rare congenital birth defect that our now 21 year old son has.

She of course put me in touch with him and the rest was history.

    When I first contacted Nellie, I had so many questions. The one thing I asked him that I regretted at the time, but do not now, was a simple question. I asked him "Nellie, so tell me about your mom and dad and family."

There was no email response back. Then one day about a week or so later a tape came in the mail of his "Life Worth Living." Needless to say, I was knocked to my knees that everyone in this world did not live with a disability with a warm and loving family that our son Stephen did.

    We connected and never really talked more about it. But I learned quickly that he had the biggest extended family in the world and that was all of you at PLU. No matter when I talked to him he was with his best friend. If it was Christmas or Thanksgiving he was going to his families houses. Nellie taught me personally that God places your family around you, not always in one.

    The other lesson Nellie taught our family and all of our Vegas friends is how much fun he could have with the greatest of confidence. I have two of the most wonderful friends in this world and they made Nellie's dreams come true the three times he came to Las Vegas. He loved it when he rolled his chair into the Wynn and their in his room on the TV screen it said " Welcome Mr. Nelson". He saw shows and went to clubs with security and ate at the finest restaurants. But it wasn't what those trips did for Nellie, it was what they did for me, personally. You see when you are a parent of disabled person, you always no matter what you have you always  think of all the things you have not. Nellie taught me all of the things we have. A lesson that God directly placed him in my life to teach me. And he taught it so well that he healed a part of my part that I thought would forever be broken.

    Selfishly, my biggest regret was not bringing Nellie to our summer home in San Diego. I didn't do it because I knew he would love it there. I knew he would love the climate, the atmosphere and the lifestyle of San Diego. I knew in my heart that he belonged at PLU till the day he died. He talked of moving to San Diego and I would remind him that he would be leaving behind more than he would be getting.

    I talked to Nellie up until the day before he died. He never told me how sick he was. He didn't tell me because he knew I would want to get him to the best doctors and hospitals. Something he would get very angry with me when I would try to interfere. I do not believe in my heart that God chose to take Nellie home  on August 30, 2009. I believe in my entire being Nellie chose to go home to our God.

    So for those of you who learned from Nellie to fight and over come obstacles, know that as much as he talked about those great trips to Las Vegas, he told us all about all of you.  We loved meeting Woj and Craig Stahl who brought him to Vegas and through them we felt that we knew all of you. And through Nellie I know more about our family then I ever thought possible. But at the end of this day, and at the end of our story a part of me still wishes I was dreaming. I miss him that much.

    Thanks Nellie and remember me in heaven. I won't be on the field but I will be the one bringing you the "tall vanilla late with 7 pumps of vanilla". And I know I won't have to hold it for you, because you will be holding it yourself.

 

    Thanks to all of you for loving Nellie and thank you for sharing him with his Las Vegas family.

 

    Vicki Quinn

    September 1, 2009

    

---

No Wheelchairs In Heaven

It has been said that in life there are two types of change: Change that you choose and change that chooses you. Yesterday, change chose us when John “Nellie” Nelson breathed his last breath here on earth.

For two decades, Nellie was an intimate part of PLU Football. Since 1989, EMAL players have come and gone, but each year Nellie chose to start anew with each incoming freshman class. This meant fostering an entirely new and unique set of relationships. At the same time, Nellie never forsook the relationships that he had previously established. On the contrary, he continued to nourish them, even from a distance. Eventually, he became a human bridge that will forever connect EMALs from ’89 – ’09 and beyond. This truth was evidenced by the full spectrum of EMAL classes represented at his 40th Birthday Bash a little more than four years ago.

Nellie’s friendships weren’t limited to the football team. He touched the lives of countless PLU students as well as distinguished members of the PLU staff and faculty. Parents and families of PLU players often hosted Nellie at their homes and invited him on family vacations. Nellie was a groomsman in more weddings than can be counted and put many a groom to shame with his moves on the dance floor.

We each have our own personal memories of Nellie that are undoubtedly filled with high sticks (high fives), encouraging words, inside jokes, rides on the back of his chair, dinners at the UC, lots of Pepsi, and a smile that is simply unforgettable. Nellie often joked about playing football in heaven and reportedly kept a list (known as the “Pummel List”) of players he wanted to tackle. It was always clear that he longed to be free of the confines of his wheelchair. The remarkable thing is that he never used his disability as an excuse; at least not for long. Even during the most difficult moments of his life, Nellie was able to find the strength in Christ to face each obstacle and live life with total release.

Many of you know that Nellie had a deep desire to inspire others with the details of his challenges and his ability to thrive despite overwhelming odds. The primary message he wanted to convey was one of hope, love, and strength in Christ. Nellie had a vision for folding all of this into an inspirational autobiography. Over dinner this past spring, we discussed plans for the possibility of writing this book together. Despite the circumstances, the plan is to continue with this project. To do this we will need help from each of you. Currently, we have a title (No Wheelchairs In Heaven), an introduction, and an outline. Our greatest need at this time is to add real life stories of your interactions with Nellie. We're looking for all kinds of stories and memories, big and small, from all time periods of Nellie’s life.

No matter what your association with PLU Football is, please consider posting your stories and memories about Nellie on this blog so that we can all share, learn from, and be inspired by them.


Posting on the I AM EMAL blog is as simple as sending an email:

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2. Enter the Title of your posting into the subject header of your email.

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While we didn’t chose the change that we are currently faced with, we can remember and honor John “Nellie” Nelson by sharing the power of his story with the world!

EMAL #54

Remembering Eric Fergen

Most of the EMAL nation won't recognize Eric's name as he would have played his senior season of football at PLU in 2006. However, Eric's story is one that should be shared and reflected upon each year by EMALs from all generations. In his own words, "life is fragile and can be taken away from anyone at a moment's notice." Tragically, Eric's life closely mirrored these words and Eric was taken from us in a drowning accident on Lake Stevens July 4th 2009. (http://news.plu.edu/node/996)

Although I never had the pleasure of meeting Eric, the words he left behind made a lasting impact on me. The most meaningful was a short statement Eric wrote titled, "Philosophy of Life". I plan to share this statement with my daughters repeatedly as they grow and mature. I've uploaded this document to scribd.com and embedded it in this posting. Be sure to read his exhortations on the second page...they are powerful. (Hint: You can view the document in full screen by clicking in the upper right hand corner of the viewer.)

Philosophy of Life - By Eric Fergen

May we all have the courage to life as Eric did. I'm so grateful there are an army of EMALs out in the world who are leaving their mark.

Shine On EMALs!

EMAL #54

Talk About Inspiring...

Knowing what a humble guy Jonathan Carlson is, he probably wouldn't have posted this himself. However, his recent actions on May 27, 2009 are inspiring and I believe they stand to encourage us all to strive for excellence in our lives and stay cool when the going gets tough.

There are two core EMAL beliefs:

1. The longer we play the better we get.
2. Someone is going to find a way.

When an engine failed on the commercial plane he was commanding Jonathan was up to the challenge. He has always told me if there is a tight situation on an airplane he wants to be the one at the controls. His 1st Officer was flying when the engine failed, but Jonathan took over shortly afterward. He then proceeded to land the plane safely while protecting the lives of the crew members and all 27 passengers on board.

It's inspiring to me that one of our fellow EMALs continues to work hard to become a master of his craft despite adversity. Yes sir, Jonathan Carlson is the real deal.

Here is a link to the story:

Pilot Makes Emergency Landing In Riverton, Wyoming

Shine On EMALs

EMAL #54

Creating An Active Community!

Thank you again to everyone who has joined the Facebook Group! I've received a lot of positive feedback and words of encouragement. I want to emphasize that this blog and the corresponding Facebook group are different from a lot of other social media destinations out there. The specific purpose and dream is to have an active community of EMALs that are sharing tidbits from their lives that will encourage others. No pressure, but when your ready consider posting something on the www.IAMEMAL.com blog or even a quick comment on the Facebook group page. Once we get this started it will flow like milk and honey! Together we are stronger, smarter, better equiped to face challenges in our lives.

All My Best,

EMAL #54 (Chris Inverso '01)

P.S. Please tell other EMALs from all generations, even if they are not yet on Facebook they can still go to the blog site.

Getting Things Started..

EMALs,

I figured I'd prime the blog's pump a little here with a story of my own. Those that played football at the tail end of the 90's and the early part of this decade will likely remember that I once aspired to become a physician. However, after applying to medical schools and working as a outpatient dialysis technician, this career path no longer seemed to be a very good fit for me. I was torn because I wanted to finish what I'd started and had some small regrets about how I had prepared for the entrance exam.

Without a clear plan, I ventured out into the world of business-to-business sales. After some strong early successes I fell into a spiral of fear and doubt. Of course, I had a toolbox full of resources to address my troubled mindset, but I've got to admit that I really struggled.

Nine months later, I had a small breakthrough when I secured a position as a corporate trainer for a large mortgage company. While I had a chance to discover that teaching and training were areas that I really enjoyed, I still hadn't figured out how to weave them into a plan for my life. For the next four years I bounced around in the real estate and mortgage industries. I enjoyed myself and learned a lot, but their were still some pretty extreme high and low points.

About halfway through this period of time, my first daughter, Siri Joy Inverso was born on April 5, 2006. From the moment I saw her I was struck with a compelling urge to help her live the fullest, most abundant life possible. I dreamt of all that I could do to inspire, encourage, and motivate her to become all that she was capable of becoming. There was just one small challenge: In my heart I knew wasn't becoming all that I was capable of becoming. Fear and doubt were still holding me back.

Something had to give and I decided that it was me. At the time, the change was barely perceptible, but each day I began challenging myself with the question, “Am I choosing to live out my dreams or am I selling myself short of all that I desire for myself, my family, and my community?” Over time, this question fostered a steady change in my actions. As it did, I began to realize more and more that I had a passion to enable those around me to live out their dreams as well. In fact, I learned that, in many ways, the most efficient method for me to accomplish my dreams was to help others realize theirs.

This shift in ideology has had a profound impact on my professional life. Each day I strive to ask questions, read, and learn new things that I hope will allow me to better serve those that I work with. It has also led me reconnect with my passion for writing. Since I've worked in and around small businesses for the past 6 years, my first book will be about achieving success as a small business owner. In fact, the book is nearly finished.

More than anything I now understand how I can live out the ideals that I once associated only with the medical profession: (a) tangibly serve others and (b) convert complicated ideas into easy to understand and actionable concepts.

I have by no means arrived and each day seems to bring new challenges. However, my mind has never been sharper, my energy has never been greater, and my belief has never been stronger. I attribute this renewed mindset to three things:

1. God's response to my prayers for direction and wisdom.

2. The full spectrum of mindset enhancing tools that I learned at PLU.

3. My assumption that other EMALs were continually persevering as they battled through adversity of their own.

Thank you to those that have walked with me and continue to walk with me as I travel along the Success Road.

All My Best!

EMAL #54 (Chris Inverso '01)

Posting on the I AM EMAL Blog

Fellow EMALs,

Posting on the I AM EMAL blog is as simple as sending an email:

1. Simply cut and paste the following email address into the "To:" field of your email: chrisinverso1.iamemal@blogger.com

2. Enter the Title of your posting into the subject header of your email.

3. Enter the Content of your posting into the body of your email.

4. Be sure to finish with your name, jersey number, and/or year graduated. Please remove any auto generated signatures.

Thank you for joining us as we all strive and arrive on the Success Road!

EMAL #54 (Chris Inverso '01)

A Letter To My EMAL Brothers

We are all at different places as we travel along the proverbial “Success Road” and yet, for each of us, a portion of this journey included a coming-of-age experience like no other: PLU Football. The impact of this experience on our lives is magnified by the friendships that we forged long ago. While time and space may have distanced us from these relationships, their potency and ability to positively impact our lives remains as strong ever.

As I travel and speak with EMALs from all generations, I am continually encouraged and uplifted by their stories. Each story is uniquely different: some are stories of achievement, others are stories filled with humor, and still others are stories of adversity. I’ve sought out these relationships and stories for two reasons:

1. When a goal is accomplished or a joyful occasion takes place in my life, or in the lives of my fellow EMALs, I feel a strong desire to celebrate and share these experiences with other EMALs. I have found that opportunities to connect in this way are uniquely fulfilling.

2. When I am faced with a challenge, I imagine the perseverance and determination that my fellow EMAL brothers must be demonstrating as they face challenges of their own. I have found that this kind of thinking encourages me.

With the power of the internet, communication that has the ability to span the entire spectrum of EMAL generations is now at the tips of our fingers. I propose that we begin to use this blog, as well as the Facebook Group with the same name, to post stories from our lives that will serve as beacons of hope, joy, and encouragement to EMALs all over the world.

Let’s leave no doubt that EMALs everywhere are making a difference and impacting our world in a unique and meaningful way.

All My Best!

EMAL #54 (Chris Inverso '01)