Early Retirement

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Welcome to Aaron Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim and Mild.

Our world is full of the unexplainable.

And if history is an open book, All of these amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for us to explore.

Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities.

They say that art imitates life, but sometimes in the strangest ways, life imitates art.

What begins as fiction, created to comment on the world, can end up shaping it.

And in a twist no screenwriter could script, the line between performance and real life disappears.

In 2015, a new show hit the airwaves in Eastern Europe and instantly became a hit.

Called Servant of the People, the comedy followed a character named Vassil Holoborodko, an affable yet absent-minded high school history teacher who lives with his parents in the big city.

After a particularly frustrating day, Vassil makes a profanity-laced rant against government corruption to a friend, which one of his students secretly gets on camera.

The video goes viral and suddenly this character, Vassil, find himself at the center of a grassroots campaign for the presidency.

Ordinary people rally around him and he wins.

Although Vassil at first feels like a fish out of water dealing with the expectations of bureaucrats and the closed-door deals of oligarchs, he quickly finds his voice.

The comedy series follows him as he tries to weed out corruption in the government, often to comedic effect.

The show was funny, sharp, and surprisingly heartfelt.

While more than a little cynical, the show was a hopeful comedy about a normal person making real change.

And the heart of it all was its star, a comedian.

Although he had studied law in school, he had no political background, just a long career in entertainment and a reputation for smart, satirical humor.

So, when he announced in 2018 that he was actually going to run for president of his country under a new political party, also called Servant of the People, A lot of people looked for the punchline.

But he wasn't joking.

He ran a serious campaign centered around the very values his character had stood for ⁇ transparency, anti-corruption, and giving power back to the people.

And in 2019, he won.

Over 70% of voters in the country chose him for office, tired of traditional politicians and hoping that this real-life Poloborodko could bring change.

At first, the world watched with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism.

They wondered whether this TV star could actually lead a country, especially one who was facing constant aggression from its neighbor to the north, Russia.

You see, back in 2014, Russia had invaded and then annexed the Crimean Peninsula, which was part of Ukraine.

Obviously, tensions were high and people worried that their president, who was new to political diplomacy, might bend to Putin's pressure.

But then came 2022 and everything changed.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24th of 2022, all eyes turned to their new TV president-turned actual president.

Instead of fleeing the capital, he stayed.

He filmed a now famous video on the streets of Kiev, flanked by his team saying, I'm here, we're all here, we're defending our independence.

And his message was clear.

He wasn't going anywhere.

From that moment on, Volodymyr Zelensky transformed.

He wasn't just a comedian turned president.

He became a wartime leader.

He gave emotional, straightforward speeches addressing the world.

He negotiated with global leaders for support, weapons, and sanctions.

He became the face of Ukrainian resistance, wearing practical, humble, olive drab t-shirts instead of fancy suits, and spoke directly to his people through nightly addresses.

And through it all, he led with something that had first made servant of the people so popular on TV, authenticity.

There was no spin, no dramatic reinvention, just a man who deeply believed in his country and its people, rising to meet the moment.

It's hard to imagine now that the world once only knew of Volodymyr Zelensky as a comedian.

His transformation from entertainer to head of state to global symbol of resistance is remarkable.

What started as satire has turned into something profoundly real.

Zelensky is no longer just playing a role, he has truly become the servant of the people.

Life's messy.

We're talking spills, stains, pets, and kids.

But with Anibay, you never have to stress about messes again.

At washable sofas.com, discover Anibay Sofas, the only fully machine-washable sofas inside and out, starting at just $699.

Made with liquid and stain-resistant fabrics, that means fewer stains and more peace of mind.

Designed for real life, our sofas feature changeable fabric covers, allowing you to refresh your style anytime.

Need flexibility?

Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa effortlessly.

Perfect for cozy apartments or spacious homes.

Plus, they're earth-friendly and built to last.

That's why over 200,000 happy customers have made the switch.

Upgrade your space today.

Visit washable sofas.com now and bring home a sofa made for life.

That's washablesofas.com.

Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

This show is sponsored by American Public University.

Balancing work, family, and education isn't easy, but American Public University makes it possible.

With online courses, monthly start dates, and flexible schedules, APU is designed for busy professionals who need education that fits their lives.

And affordability matters too.

APU offers the Opportunity Grant, giving students 10% off undergraduate and master's level tuition, helping you reach your goals without breaking the bank.

Plus, they provide career services and 24-7 mental health support at no extra cost.

Visit apu.apus.edu to learn more.

That's apu.apus.edu.

There are whole online communities devoted to the goal of retiring early.

Many aim to be done working by the age of 40.

They look at what careers might get them there the fastest, and then they do everything they can to minimize their spending and their debt.

But one man from the 19th century had them all beat.

He reached the pinnacle of his career at the age of 26 and spent the rest of his life doing whatever he pleased.

Thomas wanted to give back after finding so much success at a young age.

By 1890, he had all the money he could ever hope for.

He noticed that his home, Boston, was dealing with high unemployment.

And so he set out to change that.

He learned that shipbuilding was a reliable source of employment in other other ports in New England, and so he completely changed careers, opening a naval yard and employing 4,000 Bostonians to build ships.

But after a while, he felt like he had learned everything he could about that industry.

He longed for yet another challenge.

And so he installed a new president at the company and enrolled with his wife at MIT.

His studies soon led him to the field of paleontology.

because he was fascinated by fossils.

But once again, he eventually tired of that, once more feeling that he had learned all that he could.

And so, he reinvented himself a third time.

In 1910, at the age of 56, Thomas became fascinated by Shakespeare.

He moved to England and studied elocution, the art of clear and effective speaking.

It was a pursuit that eventually led Thomas to perform on stage.

Then he took those skills back with him to Boston, where he put on plays and gave lectures.

He died in 1934 at the age of 80, having pursued every passion he could think of.

Throughout his life, those he encountered may very well have wondered who this middle-aged man was who seemed to be free to pivot careers and do as he pleased.

Well, they needn't look no further than his last name, Watson.

No, he wasn't Sherlock Holmes' actual sidekick, but Thomas Watson was famous for being an assistant, and his fame predated the first Sherlock Holmes story.

In 1876, when a young Thomas Watson was working as an assistant to the inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, he became the first person in history to be on the receiving end of a telephone call.

Bell's famous words from that first call were said to be, Mr.

Watson, come here, I want you.

And while it sounds like a mild request by one boss to his assistant, it was much more urgent.

You see, Bell had just spilled a vial of acid on himself due to his excitement at his invention working.

He really did need Thomas to come and help him.

Luckily, they recovered from that snafu, and over the next few years, Bell and Thomas further developed the invention together.

In fact, you could argue that Thomas was really the one who made it what it was.

In the months and years following that first call, he designed the ringing and the receiver hook functions that became an essential part of telephones.

Well, at least until cell phones were invented.

But most of us are probably old enough to still appreciate the original.

The telephone caught on at an incredibly rapid pace.

There were soon millions of telephone lines all over the world, and Bell and Thomas profited from all of them.

In 1915, 1915, Thomas took a break from his adventures around the globe to reunite with Bell for one last history-making milestone.

Thomas traveled to San Francisco simply to pick up the phone.

And once again, Bell was on the other end of the line, calling all the way from New York.

This time he said, hello, Mr.

Watson, can you hear me?

And Thomas replied, I hear you perfectly.

It was the first Atlantic to Pacific call.

Never before had a country been so united by a new invention.

Just a few decades prior, it would take a month to get a letter from one end of the nation to the other, and now people could contact each other within seconds.

Thomas and Bell left a huge mark on the human race, but Thomas didn't let it go to his head.

He kept seeking out new adventures, remaining curious about the world that he had connected through his genius.

I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities.

Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or or learn more about the show by visiting CuriositiesPodcast.com.

This show was created by me, Aaron Mankey, in partnership with How Stuff Works.

I make another award-winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television show.

And you can learn all about it over at theworldoflore.com.

And until next time, stay curious.

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