Featured
So… Are You Rich, Happy and Successful Yet?
Every now and again, life has a funny way of making you believe you are bigger than life itself. I mean, after all, it’s your life so why shouldn’t you feel like it belongs to you? Plus you’ve been given all these liberties, freedoms and tools to pursue and achieve your wildest dreams. If all this is the case, then how come you have yet to achieve the happiness you’ve been seeking for so long? Perhaps you’re too focused on yourself and not enough on other people.
Russell Simmons once said to me “In order to get everything you want, you need to give everything you have. Give. Give. Give.” There were three thousand other people in the Hammerstein Ballroom auditorium in New York, but for the sake of exclusivity, let just say he was talking directly to me. That message always struck a cord with me because, quite frankly, it’s true. It’s been my experience that the more you genuinely give, the more you genuinely get.
It’s been my experience that the more you genuinely give, the more you genuinely get.
You are not building up a favor cache to be tapped into at a later date.
A reasonable person reading this may ask “if you truly believe in this ideal and you believe it to be true then why am I not rich and famous?” Honestly, I never wanted to be famous and I’ve never pursued any endeavor with the sole intent of wealth acquisition. I have gotten everything I’ve ever gone after, however, and I really do believe it has to do with extending myself to others. As an example, I gave a friend a hip hop track (I produce music btw) for one of his artists at no cost and not expecting anything in return. His artist took a demo CD with that track to Def Jam looking for a recording contract. Def Jam eventually decided not to sign the artist but they liked the track and wanted to purchase it for their newly signed artist, Nas. They cut the check and now I get to tell pretty women I produced a track for Nas if I want to impress them (I really don’t say that but maybe I should start). None of that happens if I don’t give that track away and let others use it to further their agenda.
So if success, wealth and happiness is truly your cup of tea, maybe it’s time you invest in someone elses.
For those who still Misunderstand Kanye West,Listen, just listen ?
Posted by MONTREALITY on Saturday, December 12, 2015
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!
