Featured
Believe in Something Else
Stay with me here…
Not long ago I found myself in suburban Long Island drinking Moscow Mules, making conversation with some old racists hellbent on voting for Donald Trump. Not my family, I’m happy to say.
“I admit to a default respect for my elders, dumb as wood as most may be.”
“Independent.”
“Which means you’re a democrat,” he said, brushing me off in the way only old assholes get away with.
I admit to a default respect for my elders, dumb as wood as most may be, and I also suffer fools gladly. Besides, I’m not a kid anymore that relishes debate. Most folks accept the thing they are and won’t change regardless of truth, proof or reason.
“Let me guess,” Guy says to me, “You voted for the yahm twice?”
“The yahm?”
“Obama thinks there are 57 states,” White Lady #1 says.
“No, he doesn’t,” I say, a smile on my face.
“Yes, he does,” three others agreed.
“No, he doesn’t,” I repeat, friendly as possible.
“I heard him say it,” White Lady #2 says. “It’s on the internet.”
“If he said it, it was a flub,” I remarked. “He’s the President of the United States.”
“He said it.”
“If you think he thinks that, it says more about you than about him. Trust me; Obama is smarter than anyone in this yard.”
Most folks accept the thing they are and won’t change regardless of truth, proof or reason.
Apparently, every dolt in the yard was smarter than a guy that went to Columbia and Yale, got his law degree, worked as a civil rights attorney, taught constitutional law, was a three term Senator, and became the first black President of the United States.
The conversation got much worse. There was plenty of birther talk. Suggestions on how to fix race relations were outright genocidal.
“They should’a killed every yahm older than two and had white people raise them.”
“White people like you?” I asked.
So what’s the point of this truly disturbing story? To prove that racists love Trump? Not really. But these racists sure did. Many, many, many republicans would be just as disgusted as I was hearing this stuff. (awkward silence)
I was appalled for days even though I’m totally aware that humans will believe in almost anything. Some of them think fortune cookies are printed just for them specifically.
This week in Springfield while speaking to Evangelical Christians, Trump dipped back into his bag of bullshit saying “I have one of the most successful Starbucks, in Trump Tower. Maybe we should boycott Starbucks? I don’t know. Seriously, I don’t care. That’s the end of that lease, but who cares?” Adding… “If I become president, we’re all going to be saying Merry Christmas again, that I can tell you.”
What kind of capitalist wants to boycott a successful business because of a cup? And force them out of a lease? On one side of his mouth he’s flippant and “doesn’t care,” yet “that’s the end of that lease?” I thought this guy was a “conservative” that thought government should stay out of business? Does this sound like that? Or like someone who would treat anyone fairly? What it sounds like is someone you can’t trust with power.
And how exactly does he plan to enforce that “we’ll be saying Merry Christmas again?” Who is we? Is Trump going to force companies to say Merry Christmas? If they don’t, will they also lose leases?
“It’s not ‘politically correct’ to want everyone to feel included, it’s common courtesy.”
It’s also good business sense to be inclusive, which you’d think Trump would understand.
If your religion can feel slighted by a cup of coffee… believe in something else.
Almost every year for the past 6 years and on the same day, I’ve posted the same pic of me in the hospital during my temporary and untimely demise in 2015. A few weeks after I was back to “normal”, I asked Eric “Why’d you take the pics?” And he said, “I knew you would want to write about it if you lived.” Eric was right. Eric was often right and Eric always had my best interest at heart. I am going to miss my friend.
You ever meet someone and become friends immediately?! Well this was not the case with Eric. Before he was my manager at Morgan Stanley, I would often see this 6’4″, giant white guy walk up to the only black woman at work, say something then walk away without any hint of human emotion. Naturally I thought he was a jerk until I asked her “Yo, is that dude bothering you?” She laughed and proceeded to tell me he was a great person, which I ultimately got to experience first hand. Little did I know this Italian from Staten Island was more Brooklyn than most Brooklynites.
Eric was not with the shits!! If there were ever someone who lived their life in direct, honest and no uncertain terms, that would be Eric. He would ask me questions at work like “Why are the other consultants making more money than you?” I knew the answer to that question and so did he. Eric then proceeded to increase my salary by 15K. After arguing with all our managers that “You need to hire Alfred!”, they eventually did 1 year prior to the 2015 incident. In the hospital, one of my friends asked me, “What if you didn’t have health insurance when this happened?” I would be in debt for the rest of my life is the obvious answer. I still am in debt for the rest of my life but at least, it is to those who made sure I had a more enjoyable life and for that, I will gladly repay.
My mom loved to tell me the story of how she met Eric. After they told her I was going to be in the ICU for some time, she told the doctor “Well I’m not going anywhere.” She then hears a voice from that back of the room that says “Well I’m not going anywhere either!” That was Eric and in true form, he was at that hospital every single day until I was discharged.
Eric passed away in December 2021 of stage 4 cancer. After feeling faint on his way to my bbq, he went to get checked out and was diagnosed. During the past 5 years, Eric lost his mom, twin brother and dad. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must have felt like but I’m glad that pain he was feeling is no more.
From being my manager to my business partner, writer, book editor, artistic director, and most importantly, my friend, I am going to miss you MC Krispy E a.k.a “Enrique Pollazo!” And although you told me Enrique means Henry in Spanish and not Eric, it was too late!
Sidebar. The day I was discharged, while everyone was deciding what was best for me, no one had remembered that I would need clothes in order to leave the hospital. Eric shows up (unasked) with all the clothes I had on the day I coded, laundered and ready to go. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve friends like this but i need to keep doing it! Sidebar complete.
Rest in Peace Eric. “Be Good.”
I had the distinct pleasure of participating in a panel discussion on writing your first book, presented by the Harlem chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Alongside Jim St. Germain, Author – A Stone of Hope: A Memoir and Dr. Keneshia Nicole Grant, Author – The Great Migration and the Democratic Party: Black Voters and the Realignment of American Politics in the 20th Century. We opined on pain points, benefits and strategies regarding our inaugural voyages into authorship. Feel free to watch for your self and I hope this provides some insight to all those looking to make the same voyage. Enjoy!
