Remembering Muhammad Ali
Living in Louisville, Kentucky, I can’t escape the hoopla surrounding the death and funeral of native son, Muhammad Ali. It’s taking place downtown where I work. The Muhammad Ali Center is three blocks from my office building.
On Monday when I went to my favorite spot for lunch, a crew from ABC was picking up lunch. It was a beautiful, bright shiny day, so I walked to the Center and snapped pictures of the memorial to the champ outside. Reporters and cameramen surrounded the area. On Wednesday, I crossed the lines of devoted fans waiting to pick up free tickets to Friday’s memorial service. I park in the garage below the KFC YUM! Center where the funeral will be held.
I remember Muhammad Ali as a kid. I was particularly impressed when he took pictures with the Beatles in 1964. I was a Beatlemaniac, you see. I remember when Ali lit the Olympic Cauldron at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.
In Louisville, the media talks about the champ nonstop. We will be treated to live coverage of the procession to the cemetery, through Louisville, and we’ll be able to see the memorial service on television. In one audio clip of Ali, I heard him ask the reporters surrounding him if they believed in God. Imagine that! So, I searched the Internet to find out more about Ali’s faith. In The Winding Spiritual Path of Muhammad Ali, you will find a succinct explanation of Ali’s changing faith.
Ali once said, “The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” He certainly modified his views over time.
About his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease, he said, “Now the things that once were so effortless — my strong voice and the quickness of my movements — are more difficult. But I get up every day and try to live life to the fullest because each day is a gift from God.”
The article points out Ali’s daughter, Hana Yasmeen Ali, said in 2005 that her father moved away from the staunchly religious ways of his youth. “His health and his spirituality have changed, and it’s not so much about being religious, but about going out and making people happy, doing charity, and supporting people and causes,” she said.
I’ve come away from this week of memorials to Muhammad Ali with a greater respect for the man. Most of my life he’s been there, coming in and out of my awareness. I never took time to learn about the man. I’m glad I took the time this week.
