Muhammad Ali, Greatness Defined

The Caribbean Is One Nation.

 By the Mahogany Coconut Group

The Mahogany Coconut Group takes this opportunity to convey to the family of Muhammad Ali, our sincerest condolences on his passing. We   join the world wide outpouring of sympathy as we all come to grips with this tremendous loss. It is true to say that Ali gave us a life time of memories. In marketing terms , he was the   ideal figure to pitch a product : handsome-he would say pretty; talented and a natural public speaker, who excited with his skills in the boxing ring as much as he did with his almost unbelievable vocabulary. His quotes are legendary and his ability to market himself was extraordinary.

 This great religious and spiritual man, taught us by example that there is no gain in gaining the world and losing one’s soul. Ali will forever be the ultimate example, of one who believed in this philosophy. He had the ability to out earn and become a celebrity of great magnitude. He turned his back on that glitter by opposing the Vietnam War and he paid the high price of being prevented from earning a living, from his craft, for over three years.

Many will say that he was way before his time. We with great respect say he was also way ahead of the years that will follow his time. We are forced to suggest that his example and the way he conducted himself while fighting the debilitating Parkinson’ disease for three decades, is the stuff that legends alone are made of. Muhammad Ali was no ordinary human being. And many will perhaps conclude that his earthly journey was divinely ordered to teach us that physical frailty can be defeated or at least endured with mental and spiritual capacity. He knocked down and out many a competitor in the ring but he refused to be floored when life threw him a very serious and dangerous punch. The champ did not buckle at the knees but fought on for thirty incredible (rounds) years!

A hero to many and an inspiration to many more, Ali has clearly left his mark on humanity and it will remain there for posterity. While we may with great pain admit that he was somehow silenced by physical incapacity; we will also with great pride opine that within that “silence” he spoke louder and clearer than we ever expected.  Hence we are still hearing and will continue to hear his voice for eternity. Heroes such as the Champ are never and can never be silenced. It is known that a thing of beauty lasts forever. The champ often said he was pretty. We say he was beautiful.

He was indeed the Greatest and he defined the very word.