One man’s unlikely rise from bartender to national television reporter and the incredible adventures he’s had along the way.

Hockey great Wayne Gretzky famously noted, “You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take.”

Don Dahler took these words to heart, causing his entire life to change in a remarkable way. Souvenirs from an Absurd Life presents true stories about a relative nobody once struggling to make rent before he decided he would not accept what appeared to be a dim, boring, unfulfilling future. Instead, Dahler charted a new course for himself, somehow landing an award-winning career as a network correspondent and news anchor, covering a vast array of subjects, including wars, the attacks of 9/11, and the biggest stories of the times for FOX, CNBC, ABC, and CBS News. Despite the considerable odds against him, Don Dahler took his shot, and he made it.