Yesterday, Mark & Robin took Elaine & me to the Red Sox game. (They really are good people and my wife did a hell of a job!) Bottom of the 9th. 5-1 Tampa. One out. Bases loaded. Nixon and Varitek due up. Everybody in the house was on their feet. Clapping. Chanting.

Was the lesson in what it took to load the bases? Running it out? Being patient? Doing whatever it took? Maybe some other time.

When Nixon struck out and Varitek popped up and were we supposed to learn that you can’t win them all?  Maybe some other time.

Were we supposed to learn anything from the few mistakes that were made earlier in the game that “set up” the 5-1 situation in the 9th?  Maybe some other time.

The lesson had nothing to do with the big game.

I love watching the rest of the game. A peanut guy threw a bag of peanuts about 12 rows, right into the outstretched hands of a lady about 12 seats in. (Some team somewhere needs him.) You know the deal. You get the show of talent and a bag of peanuts for $5. You hand the $5 to the stranger next to you and eventually it reaches the aisle and the peanut guy with the awesome arm. This lady never paid for her peanuts. She stole them. She’s a thief. She thinks nobody noticed, but I believe that what I saw is probably the way she is. She cheats at a ball game and she cheats in life. She lost my respect without even meeting me. I’m sure she loses others’ respect every day.

I am a good enough salesperson that I could sometimes sell when it’s not a fit or when it’s not the right thing to do. Even when I was broke, I wouldn’t do a one way deal just because I needed the commission because I had to live with myself. I believe that I get way more referrals than I need because people that know me know that I won’t cheat their friends, but that if I’m the one that should be helping them, I’ll find a way to do it.

So, here’s the lesson: If you don’t want to be like the lady at the ball park and you want learn how to develop the reputation that will turn you into a RainMaker, talk to Chris Mott or Mike Eagan and ask them to do for you what  Dave Kurlan did for me.

Thanks for reading. Go Sox!