I am in a weird business. That’s an understatement but being in the business I am in, I come across people from all walks of life. Friends of friends, acquaintances, and social circles all cross paths at some point. So such was the case when I met my friend Matt 3 years ago on a trip to D.C. It’s safe to say that had I not been in this line of work, I wouldn’t have crossed paths with Matt.
It’s safe to say that we got along rather well instantly. We had a lot of the same interests, passions and values. He was curious to hear about what I taught. I don’t know that he thought of himself as a player per se, but he was good. Nope, that’s not true. He was REALLY Good. Without exaggeration, one of the best I’ve ever come across. At the time, where self-narcissistic writers would publish books self-proclaiming themselves as the greatest pick up artists in the world, Matt just did his thing. He never boasted about it, nor did he care to write books about it. He dated far better looking women with far higher frequency than the great self proclaimed “Pick Up Artists” with published books and TV Shows.
Needless to say, I learned a few good things from him, and maybe he learned one or two things from me. That’s irrelevant though. Sure, we had common interests in Martial Arts, Politics, Business, and Dating but we got along because we both were very passionate in our ideals and beliefs.
This whole self-help business is a tricky one; it’s a world of phony gurus and self-indulgent pretentious pricks. That’s probably a truism that applies to many industries but it just seems to surface more readily in this one.
He was the exact opposite of that. He was the guy who had your back. He’d give you the shirt off his back to help you out. If you were stuck or stranded, he was one of those guys you’d call for help. Dudes like that are rare regardless of what sort of peers you have. Maybe it was part of what had been ingrained in him in his previous job. An ex Navy-Seal for 8 years, he took seriously the welfare of his friends. I think it was more than that. He had character. I think you have to have character first and the rest falls in line later.
Living on opposite coasts, we only saw each other once a year. We kept in touch via phone call, emails, and yes, even Myspace. There are people you meet in life with whom you develop strong ties with, and you know that bond is there even if you haven’t spoken or seen each other in months. He was a great guy, and I know that I am not really doing justice to him amidst my confused emotions.
I had received an email from him after he had recently gotten back from Europe. He was thinking about a trip to CA. We’d been talking about the idea for months. Just for one reason or another, it kept getting postponed.
So, “Shocked” isn’t the word to describe how I felt two days ago after receiving an email that Matt passed away a few days ago. An ex girlfriend of his emailed me to let me know about funeral arrangements for this weekend.
I have had sometime to think about it and I still don’t have much to say. All the good clichés seem taken and wouldn’t change anything anyway.
All I know is that I’ll miss my friend. You were inspirational to a lot of people, including me. Always will be!
