The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe - 52: A Patient Man

Episode Date: April 25, 2017

John loved Peggy so much he would do anything for her... including this!

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John was a patient man. His attraction to Peggy had been instantaneous and profound. Their courtship, a whirlwind of barely suppressed passion. And now, as John stood at the altar, watching the object of his affection walk slowly toward him, his thoughts were those of a man whose patience was finally about to pay off. As Peggy drew ever closer and the organ heralded the coming of the bride, John recalled the day he proposed. At first, Peggy had demurred.

She said she'd think about it tomorrow. But John was persistent as well as patient. And eventually, Peggy said yes. How happy he had been. How relieved. John knew that the most eligible debutante in Atlanta had accepted other proposals from other men, five, in fact, all with more to offer than he could ever hope to match.

But now, here they were. Peggy in her wedding gown and John in his tuxedo, standing just a few feet apart. The ceremony went by in a blur. Scriptures were quoted and songs were sung. The minister spoke the sacred words as Atlanta society bore witness. But then came the tricky part. Prior to the vows, the minister regarded the congregation and invited anyone present who might object to the union to speak now or forever, hold your peace. John glanced out at the faces of those assembled in the crowded church and held his breath.

He knew that several of Peggy's previous suitors were in attendance. Would they object? What would he do if they did? The moment passed, and John slowly exhaled. Then, when the preacher asked the groom, if he would love, honor, and cherish Peggy from this day forward, John stared into the face of his true love and said the only thing he could. Nothing.

Because the preacher was not talking to John. The preacher was talking to John's best friend, a man called Berrien Upshaw, read to his friends. That was the man Peggy was marrying today. And though John had plenty of objections, he had no intention of speaking now. nor was he inclined to forever hold his peace. So John Marsh proceeded with his plan. He smiled.

He handed Red the wedding band, and he applauded as his best friend, married the love of his life. The following weeks and months were very difficult for John. He knew his true love was in the arms of another man, but John really couldn't blame Peggy. Red was a charmer, after all. he looked like a leading man in a classic film,

a prohibition bootleger. He had made a fortune and possessed a mercurial quality that made him irresistible to the fairer sex. John Marsh, on the other hand, was a mild-mannered public relations man who dabbled in journalism. As Peggy told John, when she broke their engagement and his heart,

life is under no obligation to give us what we expect. Indeed. But with respect to expectations, John knew something that Red and Peggy did not. Them. He knew the bride and groom better than they knew each other. He knew that Red expected a compliant and cooperative wife. He knew that Peggy expected a tolerance and devoted husband. In time, John believed their expectations would collide, and when they did, he knew that Red upshall would no longer give a damn about his sacred vows. He'd most likely give his blushing bride a whack, and Peggy would never tolerate that. It took two months before Red, ran out of patience with the fiery woman who couldn't help but speak her mind. When she showed him a bit too much sass, he

showed her the back of his hand, and that was that. Peggy moved out, and John was waiting to pick up the pieces. Before long, he proposed again. Peggy told him she'd think about it tomorrow. Again. He smiled and said he'd heard that one yesterday. She smiled back and said, yes. And so the two lived happily ever after. Sadly, ever after was only 24 years. Peggy was killed by a drunk driver when she was just 49 years old. But during her time with John, she found more than true love. She found her true voice. At John's encouraging, Peggy began to write. She wrote about love and passion, pride and patience, war and death and hope and everything in between. Some say she wrote the story of her own life, but Peggy never confirmed that. Then again, her most famous character

was a strong-willed Southern bell, a beautiful socialite named Pansy, that every man wanted to wed. Peggy swore that Pansy had nothing to do with her, but she did choose for her husband, a dashing mercurial bootleger, whom Peggy swore had nothing to do with red. As for the character Pansy desired but could never possess, a man married to her best friend. Nope, that guy wasn't inspired by John Marsh at all. Was he? Regardless, the publisher loved Peggy's manuscript. They really only had one change to the 1,037-page historical novel

that would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize and sell over 30 million copies. They thought the name Pansy was too weak for the fiery character that Peggy had pulled from thin air. And John convinced Peggy that the publisher was right. In real life, that's exactly how it happened.

A dashing bootleger named Red upshall, frankly, didn't give a damn, while an average guy named John Marsh knew with certainty that tomorrow would be another day. As for Margaret Mitchell, she may have written herself as a pansy, but the publisher knew she was really a scarlet. As for everything else, well, that's gone with the wind. Anyway, that's the way I heard it. The ocean delights us as playful auditors. As a playful otter, restore coastal kelp forests. The ocean teaches us how our choices impact even the deepest places. The ocean connects us.

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