Lets take a brief break from politics for a story worth telling, and knowing about. This is an article I wrote seven years ago, in 2007. If youre already familiar with this true story, you may enjoy the opportunity to revisit it. If you havent heard of this before, then youre in for a moving experience you may not forget for a while. Great Britain has a television program titled, Britains Got Talent. Its a similar format to our American Idol, and one of the judges is Simon Cowell. Its probably a safe assumption to make, that their contest draws a field of some talent, liberally laced with the truly awful. That makes for compelling entertainment, as the world never seems to tire of watching others make a fool of themselves. One of their contestants had all the right ingredients to give their audience their expected dose of amusement. The contestant started his walk across the stage to the microphone. A pudgy man with a cheap suit, that didnt even fit, slowly made his way to face the judges. They began a brief conversation as part of his introduction, and we discovered he even had misshapen teeth, and could barely bring himself to look up as he answered their questions. We learned he was employed as a cell phone sales clerk at a discount store. There was little doubt hed spent his life encountering one rejection and put down after another. It would have taken an Academy Award actor to have shown as much lack of self-confidence as he exuded. Even his name, Paul Potts, seemed appropriate for someone thats obviously been pre-judged by the world as a loser. The interview started as one of the judges asked, What are you here for today Paul? The tone of the question was clearly condescending, and Paul replied, To sing opera. One of the other judges snapped his head in the direction of the judge with a youve got to be kidding me look. Paul just stood there with an embarrassed expression. Simon Cowell knew he was going to be provided with the chance to deliver one of his scathing critiques, and simply settled in with a comment, OK, ready when you are. The studio cameras panned across the audience and from their expressions it was clear they knew this was a set-up for an expected farce. The audio technician started the musical accompaniment Paul had brought with him, and the intro started. Then Paul started to sing. The unflappable Simon Cowells jaw dropped open. Only ten seconds into his selection the stunned audience started cheering, clearly an unfamiliar experience for the pudgy man with no self-confidence. He sang on. The female judge that asked why are you here, was swallowing hard, laboring to breathe. Members of the audience were wiping away tears. Paul sang on. That voice! That amazing voice, with such passion brought the audience to their feet with thunderous applause, a roar of cheers and whistles before he was even finished. He sang on and the audience erupted with such volume the judges turned around, stunned, to look at them. It was a moment for the ages. Then Paul returned to his original posture and beaten demeanor, prepared to accept the put downs hed heard all his life. His pained expression left no doubt what he expected. Simon Cowell said, You work as phone salesman and you did that. I thought it was absolutely fantastic. He made it to the next round. https://youtube/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA Over the weeks the field of contestants was narrowed, the novelty acts were eliminated, and then it was time for the finals. Paul Potts, the humble cell phone sales clerk returned for his final performance. youtube/watch?v=K_5W4t_CBzg Paul Potts, former cell phone sales clerk, later sang for the Queen of England. I wonder how many Paul Potts we encounter every day without knowing it? I wonder what effect we might cause with just a simple smile while were waiting in some line, or a random act of civility or kindness? What are we depriving ourselves of by not doing that? I think Im going to start finding out. The world needs more Paul Potts stories.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 03:55:38 +0000
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