Prologue:
Last night I was at an Alumni event at Luka's Taproom in Oakland. It was at the taproom where things were set in motion for me to experience the craziest dream I've ever had. On my way to the Taproom I exited off of 880 North and onto Broadway toward the Occupy Oakland camp. Instead of a volatile crowd of protesters I was greeted with a box formation of police vehicles and a fire truck. Apparently during the occupy protest last night an individual was shot five times on Broadway; "what a way to start off the night," I thought to myself.
Finally I made it to Luka's taproom where I mingled and caught up classmates, friends, professors, and fellow alumni. I eventually met an individual who is the founder of a Digital Arts & Literacy Center in Oakland. He then solicited for my Photography services at an upcoming event that includes non other than the legendary rapper MC Hammer. I then began to replay the time line of MC Hammer's meteoric success and downfall in my head--a great story that serves as a warning for any individual who makes it big but possesses no financial intelligence. The event at the Taproom continued until I met a man who is recovering from a gambling addiction but works at an investment firm (ummmmm?). He went on to tell me more about himself and it turns out that his game of choice was craps because "that's the game with the best odds."
The last thing that happened that night was a long discussion with one of my classmates about China's current exodus of its poor citizens, entrepreneurs, and contract workers into Africa. This is a topic that is deserving of a separate post but its worth mentioning and here's why:
The Dream:
My dream started off with me in a two story house off of i680 near Fremont, California. While in the house I noticed several gold and platinum records residing in glass frames hanging from the wall. After snooping around some more I saw very large pants, those usually belonging to clowns and firemen, hanging from a balcony window overlooking the interstate. The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to form in my mind:
1. House in the east bay.
2. Gold and Platinum records on wall.
3. Goofy Pants.
Wow! I'm in MC Hammer's house! It was at this moment when 4 unruly-looking characters kicked open the door carrying a spherical bamboo contraption with an unknown object in the center and fuses (that's right, I said fuses) already lit and protruding from the edges. As the wicks disappeared because of the smothering flames they began to argue about which room would yield the most structural damage. Vying for my own safety I felt the need to interject: "Hey guys you should put it in the south end of the basement because this house is on a hill." Great now I'm an accomplice. The man carrying the bomb approached me, candles still burnin', and freed one hand to shake my own. He introduced himself as Hammer and believe me, he speaks like he raps. Every syllable had the brevity of a snare drum and every sentence was surgical in its bluntness.
After the we exchanged pleasantries, Hammer, myself, and the rest of the gang (not figurative) ran outside the house. This is where things get even more weird. When I burst through the doors of the house I was now in China with Hammer and the former Warrior's basketball player Jason Richardson. I turn to Hammer and asked why he had to blow up his house and he replied that he needed the insurance payout. He also had a desire to buy property in China because of the favorable exchange rate for the dollar (but he didn't do enough research to know that property prices in China were greatly inflated). After awhile I began to notice that Hammer's house had somehow followed us to China and definitely looked out of place being juxtaposed with traditional Chinese architecture. J-Rich and Hammer began to countdown aloud. I interrupted and asked what they were counting down for? "Hammer time" he says. Suddenly the roof of Hammer's house pops open and silver confetti shoots upwards toward the sky before raining down on everyone below. The nearby Chinese people don't seem to notice, or care, that there are two black men, now dancing in celebration, and one clueless white guy occupying the middle of the street while a house that looks like Chinese New Year litters the street with cheap party essentials.
After the excitement fades we walk over to a restaurant and step inside. Once inside the scene changes again to a press conference where J-Rich steps in front of podium while I wait beside him. After answering a few questions that I can't recall, J-Rich then points to his forehead which now includes a small dice tattoo located between his eyes. He then begins to explain that when a defender looks him in the eye he also has to look at the die which he claims changes based on his luck at that given moment. As he tells the story of the die, it begins to extract itself from his forehead and become a real die floating in space. The crowd becomes aghast as this die ignores gravity and floats above the crowd.
One of the reporters reaches out her hand for the die and then, without notice, J-Rich snaps his fingers and the die expands to twenty-times it size. J-Rich snaps his fingers again and all of the dust in the room accumulates on top of the die and forms the shape of a human perching atop the die. The dust then takes form and it is none other than MC Hammer. "Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Ya'll still can't touch this" he says. The die starts to listen to gravity's suggestion of obeisance and smashes several reporters to their deaths. At this moment I wake up in a cold sweat and realize I was dreaming.
Now...I can go back to the prologue to connect the dots and see why my dream included: Hammer, J-Rich, Dice, Money, China, Explosions and Murder but in hindsight this dream made me realize the importance of financial stability and smart investments. Thanks Hammer, you're indeed legit.
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