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Ali, a life

I read this book with passion and when I finished, the life of the greatest boxer of the world remains stay in my mind.


This was the man who made me be punished at school when at that time (around 1979-1980) I, along with several classmates (I was still at the grade 5/6 of elementary Catholic School at my hometown) – decided to leave class when my teacher was not in (probably was going to toilet or somewhere – I forgot). We sneak slowly till we reached the school fence, climbed and jumped outside, then run to my friend’s house for watching Ali.


Ali was always attracting all people of all ages whenever he was fighting. He was very fast, powerful and always move & dance in the ring. See the recording of his fighting in Youtube today, how no boxer like him.


And today when I reminisce my experience of climbing & jumping the school fence, I laugh while also ask why I did that? Surprisingly, I even didn’t think of the risk by leaving the class, because the following day my teacher took us to the hall, line-up for the whole day and let all students looked at our face like we were little bandits that got caught, haha.

 

This book is a biography, written by Jonathan Eig with detail of story from Ali’s birth until his death at 74.


Besides his controversial acts, including his refusal to serve in the U.S Army for a duty to the Vietnam war, he had made a lot of things to show his commitment to his country after his retirement from boxing. In some circumstances, Ali was also asked several time by the government as “informal” political mediator in relation to the conflict in the Middle East – knowing him as an American Muslim. In the middle of Gulf War, in November 1990, Ali travelled to Iraq to meet its president, Saddam Hussein, in an attempt to win the release of hundreds of American hostages. Ali was mostly silent during the meeting, but when it was over, Hussein released 15 American and allowed them to travel home with Ali.


Another phenomenal of Ali was when he lighted the torch in Atlanta Olympic in 1996. Dressed all in white, his right hand clutched an unlit torch. His left hand shook uncontrollably and shockingly of Parkinson disease. His face betrayed no emotion.


He floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee

The greatest fighter this world has yet to see

On the heart of every life he touched he left an indelible stamp

And he will always be known as the People’s Champ.

***

Serpong, 13 Feb 2021

Titus J.

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