The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe - 15: Sorry, Wrong Number

Episode Date: May 3, 2016

Sometimes in life, it's better not to stick to the script.

The ocean moves us, surfing a wave or savoring the view. The ocean delights us as playful otters restore coastal kelpores. The ocean connects us. Visit Monterey Bay Aquarium.org slash connects. This is the way I heard. John was having a rough evening. He'd been hung up on 300 times in less than three hours. It's hard not to take that kind of rejection personally,

even when you're working under an assumed name. As the phone rang in his headset, John wondered how it had come to this. A talented musician, he'd left Kentucky to write love songs and sing power ballads with his rock band. Now, he was staring at a telemarketing script, a clunky mess of words and sentences he'd never use in real life, but was nevertheless required to recite word for word. His musings were interrupted by an elderly voice on the other end of the line. Hello? John cleared his throat and started reading. Hello, this is John Cordermain calling from Los Angeles, California.

I'm calling this evening to inform you that you've been selected to win a free trip to Tahiti or a beautiful grandfather clock, made of the finest wood and assembled by genuine craftsmen. How does that sound? John waited for the cursing and the click that usually followed his introduction, but the elderly gentleman was still on the line. line. Well, that sounds delightful, young man. I've always wanted to go to Tahiti. What do I have to do? So startled, was John, by the prospect of making an actual sale. He very nearly fell off his chair. Tahiti is a tropical paradise unlike any place on earth, and we'll be happy to send you on an all-expense,

paid visit, or forward to your home address the aforementioned grandfather clock. All you have to do is agreed to purchase a gross of ballpoint pens. How does that sound? Well, that sounds like a lot of pens, young man, but if it gets me to Tahiti, let's do it. John couldn't believe it. He grabbed the order for him and prepared to write up his very first sale as a professional telemarketer. But the old man had questions. Tell me something, son, how long will I get to stay in Tahiti? Is this a cruise, or will you fly me there? John knew that everyone who bought the pens got the clock. John also knew the clock was made of cork and presswood

and held together with Kleenex and spit. But hey, for $99, $144 pens wasn't a bad deal, right? John referred back to a script. Well, sir, he read, it really all depends on the luck of the draw. You could win the trip to Tahiti, or you could win the clock. The old man paused on the other end of the line, and John held his breath. Well, son, I'm on a fixed income, you see, but tell me, if I buy two grosses of pens, will that improve my chances of going to Tahiti?

There are many decisions in life that don't feel significant at the time, but when added up, turn you into the person you are. John, to his credit, couldn't go through with the sale. He told the old man the whole thing was a scam. Then he quit the telemarketing business and redoubled his efforts to become a rock star, which in spite of his best efforts did not pan out. John and his band opened for the Ramones, Iggy Pop, and the Talking Heads, but that's as far as they got.

If John really wanted to be famous, he'd have to try something different, but, as it turns out, not entirely new. Remember the script that John hated so much? as a telemarketer? Well, scripts were not the enemy after all. And the endless rejection he experienced on the telephone, that prepared him for the rejection every actor experiences in the course of any successful career. And yes, John's career turned out to be quite the success, thanks to the many scripts that John brought to life. It started with a small part in a creepy script about a place called Elm Street and led to a string of films that have so far grossed over

$3 billion worldwide, which is why, today, John can play his music whenever it suits him and live like the rock star. He always thought he was. Not bad for a former pen salesman who never sold a single pen. And something to think about next time your phone rings in the middle of dinner. Who knows who's really on the other end? It could be a pen salesman, or it might be the next Johnny Depp. Anyway, that's the way I heard it. If you're a maintenance supervisor at a manufacturing facility and your machinery isn't working right, Granger knows you need to understand what's wrong as soon as possible.

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