A Personal Reflection on the Passing of an American Icon
We all heard the sad news of Muhammad Ali passing over the weekend.
I was fortunate enough to meet him one evening. His warmth and charm immediately made me feel like an old friend.
Upon meeting him, he touched my hair and uttered his signature phrase “pretty”.
I replied “No champ, you’re the prettiest”. He smiled.
That was his way. He was a sensitive soul with the heart of a champion. He skyrocketed to fame and fortune as a boxer in the ring but his commitment to civil rights and his work as a worldwide humanitarian made the title “The Greatest” fit like a crown.
He was not perfect but greatness doesn’t require perfection. It requires only a pure heart and the courage to do what you believe to be right.
As Ali said “If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it, I can achieve it”.
Rest in peace Champ!
Democratically yours,
Greg-Patric Martello
Tilden President