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Sub Category : Miscellaneous

Muhammad Ali ~ 1942-2016
I had actually met this legend in person when he was here for his match with Joe Bugner. The year was 1974. We were at the hotel where the match was taking place and my brother who was about 2 years old then was fretting so mom decided to take him out into the lobby and away from the crowd. I decided to follow. 
While mom was trying to pacify my brother we noticed this tall good looking man looking at us. We saw him coming towards us. Next thing we knew, he was standing right in front of us. 
Flashlights from what seemed like a thousand fireflies were flashing away. The quiet corner where mom, my baby brother and I stood in the lobby suddenly felt crowded with people calling out to him to get his attention. His security personnel were busy keeping the hungry mob away from him. And he was oblivious to what was going on around him. He only had his eyes on a little boy cradled in his mama's arms. He looked on at my baby brother with a look that was so tender and full of love. He then reached out and cupped my brother's face in his large hands and asked my mom for my brother's name. Mom was so stunned she could barely speak. She whispered my brother's name. Ali then smiled at my brother (who had finally stopped crying) and then kissed both his cheeks before he was whisked away. 
He was one heck of a good looking man! 
The world has lost an icon and a great humanitarian but my family will always have this memory. Rest well, Ali.
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." 💜