Years ago, I asked my Uncle Clark if he thought I should run for Duluth mayor. He said, "You have to." I believe he said that not because he thought I'd make a good mayor but because he knew I needed confirmation to make that decision. To me, that was the hardest part of the whole deal. The fear of failure never entered my mind because I never looked at losing as failure. If people thought of me as a good loser after my two mayoral campaigns in 2003 and 2007, it is because I really didn't feel, in the end, there was a "won" or a "lost" category.
The experience certainly was life-changing for me. And that is why I was able to run twice without fearing losing twice. My real failure would have been not to have run.
I continue to do what I've always been passionate about: building our community. But there is a new part to my resume, political experience, which has given me a new perspective. Now, as I face challenges in this daunting economy, I have an increased sense that through the right channels, all problems are solvable; and with the right questions, all answers are attainable.
Charlie Bell is a Duluth businessman.
