The Lets Read Podcast - 68: Introducing Imagined Life

Episode Date: April 7, 2020

In these challenging times there are pivotal moments that can lead to learning and growth. On each episode of Imagined Life from Wondery you’ll step into the shoes of someone who has faced great adversity, overcome the odds and ultimately created a positive impact on our world. In this immersive journey you’ll be given clues, but only at the last minute will you find out who YOU are. If you're wondering what it would be like to be a legendary musician, a successful entrepreneur or a stunning movie star, listen to the full episodes at wondery.fm/letsreadIL.

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If you have questions or concerns about gambling or someone close to you, please contact Connex Ontario at 1-866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. These have been some very tough times lately, but at the same time, these moments can lead to education and personal growth. On each episode of Wanderie's Imagine Life, you'll step into the shoes of someone who has faced great adversity, overcome the odds, and ultimately created a positive impact on our world. In this immersive journey, you'll be given clues, but only at the last minute will you find out who you are. In a moment, you'll hear a clip from the episode, The Advocate. You'll face judgment and prejudice,

but you'll transcend into someone who fights for the rights of others. You'll face judgment and prejudice, but you'll transcend into someone who fights for the rights of others. You'll be regarded as one of the most likable people on the planet, and to top it off, you win the Presidential Medal of Freedom. If you want to be transported into an immersive journey and find out who you are, subscribe to Imagined Life from Wondery on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening right now. You can also find a link in the episode notes. So sit back, relax, and imagine your life. Imagine. You're graduating from high school. Like a lot of people your age, you're not sure what's next. All through your teens, you've been drawn to music.

You have a nice singing voice. You play guitar pretty well. You have a natural rhythm on the dance floor. And like your brother, who plays bass in a band, you also write songs. You write poetry, too. And everyone knows that music and poetry are two reliable, money-making career paths. Not. You're well aware these aren't practical professions to pursue. Even though you've never been sure what you want to do with your life, you're not really in any hurry. So you try college for a semester, but it's not for you.

Over the next year, you struggle to find direction. You're scattered, not focused. You can't concentrate. You have to get out of the funk you've been living in and figure out what to do with the rest of your life. You take a slew of odd jobs, house painter, oyster shucker, bartender. You pass the time with dumb jokes. What did the bartender ask Charles Dickens when he ordered a martini? Oliver Twist. You take more jobs, Sales clerk. Waiter. Paralegal. What do lawyers wear to court? Lawsuits.

Apparently lawyers don't appreciate your humor. On to the next. You give each job your all. You're diligent and punctual. Always with a smile. Always ready for a challenge. You try door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesmen. Turns out, you're not half bad.

The company wants you to push the top-of-the-line vacuum cleaner, which costs about $100 more than the regular one. But other than a light on the front, they're pretty much identical. What the hell do I need a light on my vacuum cleaner for? Uh, that's so you can vacuum at night and not wake up the family by turning on the lights. The woman smiles and buys the expensive model. She has a better sense of humor than the lawyers. Or she's gullible.

Doesn't matter. You made the sale. After selling vacuums gets boring, you land a job as an employment counselor. After all, who would know more about finding a job than you? You've had 14 of them since high school. Employment counselor lasts two and a half months. A record for you. If anyone's counting. Your brother's been drifting from job to job, too. It's hard to survive on just band gigs alone. He tries writing.

He's pretty good at comedy writing. You've always looked up to your big brother and copied him as a kid. And you're pretty funny, you think. You try your hand at writing, too. You're not bad at it. And you enjoy it. Maybe your writing will get you noticed, talked about, famous even. Being famous would be fun. Hey, maybe someday you can be a movie star. You'll consider that stuff later. Someday, maybe, if the writing doesn't pan

out. You start to read your writing out loud at coffee houses. Procrastination isn't the problem, it's the solution. So procrastinate. Now, don't put it off. The crowds like you. You're relatable. And you enjoy the attention. You're having fun, and your writing's getting better. I read somewhere we only use 10% of our brains. Imagine how much we could accomplish if we used the other 60%. You emcee events. Start making a name for

yourself around town. You're not making much money, but you feel like you're on to something. Maybe you'll become famous after all. You pour your energy into writing, making it big as a well-known writer would make you happy. Famous people seem so happy. They're always smiling, right? Years of eating ramen noodles and shopping at Goodwill help you survive on a writer's income. But eventually it pays off. By the time you're 38, you've become pretty successful. You buy a nice house, a fancy car, and then you land a dream project. Your project. A once-in-a-lifetime gig.

Want to know who you are? Here are three clues. You were born in Louisiana. You're known for always being on time. And you've won the Presidential Medal of Freedom. To hear the rest of this episode of Imagined Life, The Advocate, and to find out who you are, subscribe to Imagined Life from Wondery on Apple Podcasts, wherever you're listening to this, or find a link in the episode notes.