Monday, January 27, 2014

Statement Analysis: Muhammad Ali Jr

There is a question for readers at the end of the article.  This is from the NY Post and is well written with many quotes.  Statement Analysis is in bold type with emphasis added. 


Muhammad Ali’s son shut off from dad, living in poverty


MORE ON:
In 1986, when Muhammad Ali Jr. was 14 years old, his father, the greatest boxer alive, picked up the teen for a visit.
We got in the car, and I said I needed to stop for something to eat,” Ali Jr. recalls. “By the time I came back out, he was gone.
Note "he was gone" rather than the word "left", which would have indicated missing information.  This is a strong indication that the subject knew why his father was not there:  Parkinson's. 
He has names for his father:
" father"
"Dad"
"daddy"
Each context is different than the others.  Let's look at the change in context which causes the change in language, including within the same sentence. 
Ali Jr. called his father’s new wife, Lonnie, and said, “Daddy left me up here. I don’t know why he left me.” She said she’d tell him as soon as he arrived home.
He is quoting himself in childhood, using the word "Daddy" as a child.  The context is childhood and Ali is "Daddy."
He turned the car around and came back to pick me up,” Ali Jr. says. “I said, ‘Daddy, why did you leave me?’ He said, ‘I kind of forgot you were in the car.’ ”
Ali Jr. remembers it sadly, the moment when his dad’s Parkinson’s became apparent.
“That was the first time I ­actually realized something was wrong with him,” he said.
By saying "first time" it is an indication that there were others following. 
Now 41, nearly destitute and living in the dangerous Chicago neighborhood of West Englewood, Ali Jr. fears his father has now forgotten him for good — and the boxing great’s wife, Lonnie, is keeping him from even saying a proper goodbye.
Modal Trigger
“The Greatest” and his family decades ago. Muhammad Jr. is pictured to the far left.Photo: Ken Carl/Coleman-Rayner
“If I saw my father right now, I’d say I love you, I miss you, and I want you to see your grandkids,” says Muhammad Jr., who lives in a two-bedroom hovel he shares with his wife, Shaakira, and two children, Ameera, 6, and Shakera, 5.
Here, he is "my father"; note the change to follow.  As "father" he is present day addressing Ali. 
I wished before my dad got really sick, I could have had that father-son relationship, but that’s impossible now. I wish I could have made up for lost time. But it doesn’t break my heart anymore. It’s been broken so many times I’m used to it by now.”
Here, before sickness, he is "my dad"; not  the "daddy" (above) who had forgotten the child.
The word "really" indicates that there were early signs of illness ("first time") followed by subsequent times when the illness was worse (more evident)
Muhammad Jr. was born in 1972 in Philadelphia to Ali, then 30, and actress Belinda Boyd, who was 17. Muhammad Jr. can’t remember ever enjoying a family meal together. Mostly, his grandparents raised him, as his father was busy boxing and his mom was acting in films.
He grew up with three sisters — Maryum and twins Jamillah and Rasheda — but when they were infants, Ali began an affair with Veronica Porsche, who became his second wife in 1977.
The kids still saw their dad, and Junior fondly remembers those days as an extended family.
My father used to do magic tricks. He’d have a handkerchief that he’d make into a cane; he’d then make it disappear. His card tricks were really good. He was such a comical person. My father liked to wear masks and scare people. He liked to have people on the edge of their seats.
While performing for the kids, he was "my father", not sick, and when scaring people, he was "my father" also, likely in full health.  
“We used to go to Pennsylvania where he had a training camp, and he’d do tricks on stage. We all went. It was all the family, including my stepsisters Leila and Hana. We’d get on the Bluebird Winnebago bus and go up to see him,” Muhammad Jr. says.
In these two references, he is "my father"
We stayed in log cabins, ride horses, watch him train, jump ropes and eat all the time as a family. He had a great cook.
“But I never went to any boxing matches apart from one when he fought Leon Spinks, and I just remember he kept on smiling even though he was getting hit a lot.
“He never wanted me to be a fighter. He said, ‘Don’t get into it if you don’t know what you’re doing, as it’s dangerous.’
Modal Trigger
Muhammad Jr. says he lives off of food stamps to survive while looking for a job.
“I used to see him all the time when I was a child. He made sure he was there, would get all the siblings together, and never kept us a secret from each other. I was proud of my daddy. Fame and fortune meant nothing, I just saw him as my daddy.
When someone refers to himself as a "child" it is a strong indication of child abuse, with 80% of the cases involving sexual abuse. 
Note here he is not his "father" but his "daddy", even though he is not quoting himself from childhood, though referencing a time period from childhood. 
But being Muhammad Ali Jr. had its pitfalls. Although his dad was conquering the world for a third time in 1978, his son was battling on the playground.
You may think having Muhammad Ali as your dad is great, but I had problems. People wanted to pick fights. School was hell. They wanted to see if I was like my father. I’d get bullied all the time. Girls would only get with me because of my father, not because of me. 
Having Muhammad Ali as "your" "dad";
"father" is in comparison to healthy Ali, the fighter
Girls being interested in him if he was like his "father", the healthy Ali the fighter.  "Father" seems associated, in his mind, with his successful or heathy father. 
Nothing was as it seemed. I didn’t know who really loved me. People just used me so they could get a glimpse of my dad. Some people didn’t like it that my dad was black or didn’t go to war. We had to fight all his battles.
“It meant my grandparents sheltered me a lot. Dad didn’t know, as he wasn’t around every day. I felt in some ways like I never had a childhood.
While with his grandparents, Ali, unknown, was "Dad", as he wasn't around every day. 
Back to present day, he gives summation, he is back to "father": 
“I’d say my father was good and bad. The reason I say that is because my father never really spent time with me. Whenever we had time, he spent it with his daughters rather than me. Even in the only picture I have of all the family together, they’re all wrapped close, and I’m far out to the left. I felt like the outcast. I still do,” Muhammad Jr. sobs.
He says he still feels the problems of his childhood and they’re stopping him from moving on.
He gave us money directly, anything we wanted. Everything was given to me, and I was hidden away, which has hurt me in the long run. I’m like a 12-year-old in a 41-year-old’s body now. I was always sheltered as a child, limited to what I could do, so I don’t know how to get out there and do it now,” he adds.
“I sometimes resent to this day my dad. I was cursed with this name. People wanted me to follow in my father’s footsteps, but what about my own? I want to make it myself. I don’t want to be in the shadows of someone else.
Resentment produces "dad" while legacy ("footsteps") produces "father"
“It’s like I’m cursed. My life is cursed. I thought about even changing my name to Malik Islam and running away and starting a new life again. But my children stop me. I want to teach them and give them the discipline I never got.”
Note that he "thought" (past tense) of changing his name, but his children "stop" him, in the present tense.  
Note that he "wants", presently, to teach his children and give them the discipline he never got, but he does not say that he teaches, or even that he taught his children. 
This may cause some to question if the adult is taking responsibility for his own life. 
While Ali was champion of the world at age 22 and amassed a fortune of well over $100 million, his son is living off food stamps. Driving with a reporter to his local cafe for breakfast, he points excitedly at a charity shelter and says it’s his savior.
I go there when I ain’t got no food in the crib or the kids need shoes and clothes,” he says.
My life now is crap. I live in a s–t area, a house I don’t own. I survive off handouts and food stamps. I’ve tried for a job, but there’s no hiring. I go on the ­Internet, but I’ve never been taught how to use it, so it always messes up. I’m stuck. If my ­father was still around and was coherent, he’d help me. But that’s not the case, is it?
Note that his life is "now" crap; what was it before when everything was handed to him?
Note that he said he "tried", which in the past tense, means attempted and failed, but for "a" job, not to find work.  This would indicate an attempt to apply for a single job.  He does not say he applied for a job, but only that he "tried" for a single job.  
Note the passive language of "never been taught how to use it" and "it" always messes up.  Passive language is sometimes used when one does not want to take responsibility for the action involved in context. 
“If I was rich, I’d find a cure for Parkinson’s. Next thing, I’d get a big house with my father and kids and I’d take care of him.
Note that if he was rich, the first thing would be a cure for Parkinson's while the second thing, introduced with "Next thing" would be a house "with" his father.  
Note that the pronoun "I'd" and the word "with" indicates distance with "father" (success, rich, healthy, fighter, footsteps). 
Muhammad Jr. says the last time he saw his father was at dad’s birthday party in Las Vegas last year, and it was like “he was in a coma.”
Modal Trigger
Muhammad Ali Jr, holding a photo of him and his father, said he just wants to say “I love you, daddy” one more time before ‘The Greatest’ passes.Photo: Ken Carl/Coleman-Rayner
Now when you see him, his hands shake and his face is cold. His expressions are numb. It isn’t him. He had always been talkative, joking around, the soul of the party. Now he doesn’t do any of that. It’s like night and day right now,” Muhammad Jr. says. “Sometimes, you look at things and ask: ‘Did it really happen? Did he box like that? Did he talk like that?’ 
Ali Jr. blames the breakdown in their relationship on Lonnie, his father’s fourth wife. This isn’t the first time Lonnie, whom Ali married in 1986, has been accused of tearing the family apart. Ali Sr.’s brother, Rahman, spoke out last year about not being able to see his brother and the treatment his sibling was receiving.
Muhammad Jr. says: “He slipped out my life the moment he got married to Lonnie. The trips to see me stopped immediately. She once said that they couldn’t afford to come and see me. How can a man who’s well respected in the world, bigger than Elvis, with all the money he’s made, not afford to travel?”
Lonnie, who has power of attorney, has made it clear Ali Jr. is not welcome, he says. When he phoned his father on Ali Sr.’s birthday, Jan. 17, no one answered.
Muhammad Jr. thinks his dad, now 72, won’t make it to his next birthday — “not a chance” — and hopes the day will come when the greatest living sportsman’s pain will finally ebb away.

This last quote is likely going to cause some interesting comments:  
I just want, hope and pray to God that that awful disease takes my dad sooner rather than later. Takes him away from all the suffering he’s in. It’d be really sad to see him go, but everything is for the best, and I will see him again in heaven,” he says.
I have no regrets in life apart from one. I regret not being able to call him on his birthday and wish him happy birthday, tell my daddy I love him. It may be his last birthday, and this is when you should be with your father the most. I love you, Daddy.

Question:  Why is Ali called "Daddy" here?   

please post your response in the comments section. 

26 comments:

elf said...

I think he called him daddy at the end because death makes us all feel small and without defense, like children.

Anonymous said...

Awww... this is so sad. Ali, Jr obviously loves, adores and respects his dear dad. WHAT a witch of a step-mother. All these years she has kept Ali, Sr away from his son. She will pay dearly for this someday; if not in this life then the next one. I doubt if she's made Ali, Sr happy either and more than likely is a dead-weight nasty noose around his neck.

I hope Ali, Jr's sad story will move someone (who can) to either give him a job or help him get one. Unfortunately, he does not say what kind of work he is qualified to do; however, he's obviously intelligent so there must be a number of different kinds of jobs he could perform if trained.

When a man has been down on his luck and his life this long, he feels defeated in every way he turns; it is very hard for any man living in these circumstances to pull himself up by the bootstraps and create a new and better life. I watched my own hard-working honest and successful millionaire brother sink to this same level in later years, until at last he died a broken man. My heart goes out to Ali, Jr.

charlotte from denmark said...

There is something wrong about a 41 year old man hoping to be taught how to use the internet from his 72 year old father (if he was well).

I dont see evidence of his so called intelligence either.

All that said, I feel sorry for him, as I know what he goes through.

Anonymous said...

OT
http://gma.yahoo.com/woman-traveled-world-2-years-vanishes-back-home-115231811--abc-news-topstories.html?vp=1


"Leanne went missing about a month after the couple returned from their trip around the world."

Anonymous said...

Wow, someone please delete the comment at 11:06. Crazy troll releasing personal info. Not cool!

Sus said...

He calls him Daddy because Daddy is who deserted him.

This is one of the saddest articles I have ever read. At least this man has some insight into why he's damaged. His lack of security in childhood has him "stuck" now. He is a visible example of a mountain below him...many, many children growing up with no father and no feeling of security.

As you pointed out, Peter, there is a hint of child abuse. It may be neglect, though. He focuses on eating a lot. Was he worried where his next meal was coming from without his father? He also tells us he was bullied by other kids. Being bullied on the west side of Chicago means he probably feared for his life.

lane said...

OT
Quotes from Missing World Traveler's Husband Living a Nightmare
By REENA NINAN | Good Morning America – 39 minutes ago

http://gma.yahoo.com/woman-traveled-world-2-years-vanishes-back-home-115231811--abc-news-topstories.html

"It's been nine nights and feels like 1,000 years, and everything is going through my head ... every single thing you can think of is going through my head," Josh Bearden told ABC affiliate KSAT. "There's not one scenario that I have not thought about."

The situation is especially difficult for Josh because he says the two were preparing for their next stop – Denver, and their next adventure, "to start a family."
"The hardest part of all of this, besides not sleeping, has been keeping my hope," Bearden said. "The second I lose my hope, Leanne is gone, and my biggest fear is I will lose my hope."
He has one plea for his missing wife.
"If somebody has you just hang in there," he said. "We're going to keep looking for you. We're never ever going to stop looking for you."

C5H11ONO said...

I think he uses "daddy" when trying to muster up sympathy.

Anonymous said...

Cold man, cold. I don't think he uses "daddy" when trying to muster up sympathy. In every instance where he uses "daddy", "dad' or "father" it fits perfectly in context with what Ali, Jr is saying.

Anonymous said...

Charlotte from Denmark; you don't see evidence of his so-called intelligence? What are you looking for? An Einstein? Ali, Jr. speaks well and fluently; he is not a blubbering idiot; therefore, he does possess some level of intelligence that is far above many others.

BTW, nowhere in the article does it say that Ali, Jr was hoping, or expecting his father to teach him how to use the internet. In case you are not aware, Ali, Sr is so incapacitated and destroyed by Parkinsons and other illnesses that he has to have help even holding his head up.

If you knew this, you would understand that Ali, Jrs' father is not physically or mentally able to teach him anything, nor could another human being ever expect him too. But just so you know, that is not what Ali, Jr. said.

Shelley said...





Here is a case that could be interesting.



Brookelyn Farthing was at a party. She was trying to get a ride home and texted friends and even said she was scared. The home owner says he left her at his home at 6am and she was smoking on his couch. A few hours later the fire dept was called to put out a fire. That couch he claims she was on caught on fire. What is odd is that his name has never been mentioned. I tried to look up ownership on the county website and no luck there. The whole thing screams foul play.



The address is: 113 Dillon Ct, Berea, KY 40403 if any readers live in that area and may know. It is very rural out there.



Link to full transcript and then below that the section where the step dad was asked to tell them about her.

He used past tense over and over. So I thought that was really odd.





http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1308/23/ijvm.01.html





VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Randall, tell me about your stepdaughter and speak up, sir. It`s hard to hear you.

WALKER: OK.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Speak up and tell me about this beautiful, gorgeous stepdaughter of yours. She`s model beautiful.

WALKER: Brookelyn -- are you there?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

WALKER: OK. Brookelyn was 18 years old. She is -- she just turned 19 last Monday. She just graduated last year. She just got her license.. She has her whole life ahead of her.

She -- she was not fighting with the family. The family and us were getting along great. She was -- she was your typical 18-year-old girl ready to live, ready to just attack life at full force. She was outgoing. She loved the outdoors. She loved fishing.. She loved hunting, and she loved her friends quite a bit.

And for her not to return calls, for her just to disappear like this is very odd. Very, very odd.

Picked a Name said...

He's stuck in the role of dependent child, that's for sure. Whether that's because of abuse, neglect, or other trauma, I can't say, but *something* has him very, very stuck.

Unknown said...

This article made me cry. My father in law was in a catostrophic car accident about 6 years ago. He was in a coma for 6 weeks, suffered traumatic brain injury, and mutiple broken bones. He has since been diagnosed with Parkinsons, and it is devastating.

He is a very intelligent man, an engineer, and an outdoorsman. When he was in his 50's, he spent several summers hiking the Appalachian Trail with two life-long friends. He served in Vietnam, and he's a life long hunter with multiple whitetails, and hunting trophies mounted on his walls. But sadly, there are now days that he can't walk to the bathroom or the kitchen in his own home. He shuffles due to dizziness, and gets disoriented. One morning we were there he tried to make his own coffee, but poured cereal into the cup instead of creamer. We all laughed it off, but knew it would be a 'bad' day, meaning lots of confusion.

He was an incredible story teller. I learned as much about my husband's childhood from him, as I did anyone. When we were dating, he beemed as he showed me pictures of their adventures together...climbing mountains, building houses, bee keeping, fishing, camping, and all sorts of traveling with his only son. He was truly a jack of all trades. Now when my husband tries to reminisce about trips or events with him, he thinks for a moment and says, "I can't place it", or more often than not, he will smile and pretend he knows what he's talking about, although it's clear he doesn't.

It is heart-wrenching to watch him struggle. It can take him 10 min to clip the dogs leash on to go out for the mail. The dog sits patiently still, somehow aware that he must assist as much as possible by not moving. His hands shake and he must take breaks due to dizziness, but he goes no matter how long it takes, or how many times he has to take a break and start over.

To answer your question, I believe he calls him 'his daddy', because he want's to speak to the daddy he remembers from his childhood, before the estrangement and illness. Not the way he is now. Even if he could get on the phone with Ali today, his 'daddy' is not there.

I'm thinking about how my husband uses 'daddy' now. For the most part, he uses it when offering assistance or assurance. As a term of tenderness and endearment. "Why don't you sit down Daddy, let me get that for you", or.."Do you need anything Daddy?". I believe it's due to feeling vulnerable and worried about him. We pray that he will get better with time and advances in medications, etc. His condition has improved a lot over the years since the accident, but we can't help but wonder if he will even know who we are a few years from now.

Thankfully, as of now things are looking encouraging. A friend who he served with in Vietnam looked up my father in law after all these years, and came to visit him. Amazingly he was able to remember and discuss things we had never heard him speak of before!

Anonymous said...

Here is what I transcribed from a video of Leanne Bearden's husband being interviewed at this site (http://www.ksat.com/news/authorities-call-off-search-for-missing-woman/-/478452/24130400/-/eik7lb/-/index.html):

Uh she said that she was going to go for a walk

and then I said how long are you going to be gone

and then she said about an hour

then I said ok babe take your time

thats the last that [inaudible] … I said to her


I have no idea what happened

we have no clues


but theres still a lot of area

that needs to be covered and that I feel Leanne could have walked


the second that I lose my hope

Leanne is gone

and my biggest fear is that I’ll lose my hope

I will never, ever … [inaudible] stop looking for you. Ever.

~mj said...

He states at one point in the article that he "was proud of his daddy" - he uses the term "daddy" at the end because he wants to connect with the man he was proud of: "daddy" not the "dad" or "father" -

The other two terms were used in reference to dad=resentment and not all good - father=to fame and health (and how the public viewed Ali Sr., not how Ali Jr.viewed him)

marietje said...

Unfortunately, I think Muhammad Ali, Jr. has a bad case of living in the past. I grew up in Louisville and when I was a young girl we marveled at Muhammad Ali at the Olympics all the way through to his conscientious objection to the Vietnam War. Yes, he is some big shoes to fill and I don't doubt that Lonnie is practicing politics with the different children. BUT. The son is sulking, hoping to get some attention. I think he's actually marketing himself as the son of Muhammad Ali as a last ditch effort to get sympathy.
Yes, his life is crap. But a lot of people's life is crap due to the economy. I feel he doesn't lack intelligence. He lacks initiative and creativity. I checked and internet is offered for free at every public library in Chicago. There are also free times to sign up for 45 minute session where someone will teach you one on one! Saying he can't learn the internet is an excuse. He has to realize the golden days with his dad are bygone and he needs to get hold of his life. I can't imagine that Lonnie has gotten certain children cut out of the will and if he suspicions this I know he could find even a law student at UIC. Look, I have three degrees but when I decided to live in The Netherlands for five years I couldn't use any of them right away. I got a job at a school which fell through, then I had to get a nanny job and finally I ended up cleaning houses. I understand he wants to see his dad. But I'm not falling for the sob story that he can't even use the internet. He's let himself fall into a funk and doesn't want to see his way out. It's ok to ask for help but he needs to make an equal effort.

charlotte from denmark said...

My reference to his intelligence was this comment: "he's obviously intelligent"

I don't see or hear that, I see a normal man, no more or less intelligent than the rest of the population.

I am aware his father is very ill, hence my insert "if he was well".

If his father was well, it would have been peculiar for a man of 41 hoping to learn how to use the internet from a 72 year old.

And to the commenter at 11.45, you need to check if you are seeing or reading things that are not there.

Anonymous said...

Marietje, with all due respect and admiration for your own 'down on your luck' life while in the Netherlands, you can in no way compare your life, past or present with Ali, Jrs' life. Until you know what it's like to be born into an affluent show-business celebrity family and being abandoned by them, or married into one (as I was); and until you fall into the poor life of having to live on food stamps, or have your bio-birthright fathers' wife cut you out of your fathers' life, which you erroneously call 'political', BUT which is pure evil; you can in no way compare your prior short-term struggling lifestyle with someone like Ali, Jrs'.

Until you work in the street missions helping these unfortunate souls as I have; most who are homeless, while many others are emotionally or mentally sick and others are not but are simply poor due to whatever reason brought them there; and until you see your own brother who was a former multi-millionaire eating in street missions and standing around on street corners trying to figure out how to get back to where he was but can't; you have no idea or compassion for a man like Ali, Jr and the many years of painful and disappointing circumstances he has been living with which has made an emotional cripple out of him; only to come to a place in life where he is unable to see a way out.

It is people like you who have no soul for the less fortunate than you are, who point the ugly finger at them while excusing yourself and blaming them for their sorry lot in life, but offer them no hope or help.

Let's just hope you never find yourself in Ali Jrs' position. You, my dear, would not be able to survive it, and could in fact, be tempted to hang yourself. You think you have a stiffer upper-lip than he does? You kid yourself.

You have no idea what it's like to be born into the slow-descent declining position a man like Ali Jr finds himself in, through no fault of his own. The human mind is fragile. That's right, in HIS mind, through NO fault of his own. I agree with him, it is no fault of his own that he is where he is at this point in his life where he sees no way out; that being because he was born into the circumstances that he was and has had to struggle with it every day of his entire life; he never did have a way out and knows it. Yet, he still has a heart full of love and compassion which is more than some of you on this blog site have. Sad, sad.

Anonymous said...

Charlotte, there WAS another post dated at 11:06, posted by a troll who has some beef to grind in a matter that does not involve those who post on this site, which is no longer there. It was deleted.

To repeat myself from an earlier post; Ali, Jr never did say he hoped to learn the internet from Ali, Sr, but if he had, so what? What would be wrong with THAT? How would that be any different than hoping to learn how to play hockey or baseball from his father? I'm sure Ali, Jr had many hopes and dreams of things he longed to be taught by his father and never was.

marietje said...

Anonymous @ 6:10 am. Obviously you are star struck and can make every excuse in the world for someone who wants to be led by the hand. Since you don't identify yourself you think it is ok to single me out. You have zero idea of who I am or what my life is like. I was a Montessori teacher before I was injured in a massive accident which completely impoverished me paying medical bills. Without your health you have no wealth. I could not return to my occupation but did not qualify for disability. There was absolutely no social service who where I qualified for help. I was forced to take part-time work at never more than $9.00 per hour and work in excruciating pain. I HAD to put a roof over my head or give up my cat and go to a shelter. For
last 8 years I have paid out 87%of my income to rent in Portland, Oregon. And that's just the way it is. In order to build a resume to find an itty-bitty part time job I volunteered at many social service outlets. I volunteered at Impact Northwest filing, helping people schedule energy assistance, wrapping Christmas food boxes and training as a secretary. I volunteered at FOOD not BOMBS, a food resource for the homeless and marched in protest rallies for two mentally ill people here in town (one was homeless and one a sex-worker) who had the misfortune to be shot by the police. When I did have a car I had to make at least one trip per month to the food bank or else not have enough to eat. I also volunteered at another local agency that collects toiletries, etc.,packages them into backpacks and hands them out to the homeless as well as coats, gloves and hats in the winter. As a Native American I have spent countless hours at my local agency Native American Youth and Family Association (NAYA) volunteering in the office, collecting clothing for poor mothers and children and preparing meals for the elders. I also worked in the office of the Domestic Violence Healing Circle and the Early College Academy (which we open to all children, not just native youth.)I worked with Meals on Wheels and the Oregon Humane Society training dogs for adoption. I made sure I gave my every effort and got good letters of recommendation from all of these places which I used with my resume. The resume got me a job 20 hours a week in a grocery store until that almost killed me and I got a job with Cirque du Soleil just before I turned 55 and was eligible for disability. But not before I had to pay $500 per month out of $579 dollars per month for rent (for a year at 3 different short-term roommate situations) and $40 for a phone with $39 a month left for public transportation. Please don't lecture me about the homeless. As I have been on the razor's edge of homelessness for many years but I got creative because I don't have anyone but myself to fall back on. I created a tarot card reading game and made money as a vendor at street fairs. My parents were not rich and left no inheritance. I was told flat out by high level managers at these social service agencies that the majority of the money is spent on males because they "are more visible." In other words they sit down in the middle of the floor and don't move until somebody caves and changes their diaper for them. Otherwise they create huge problems. Women, on the other hand hide their poverty and will stay in abusive relationships, etc, in order to avoid the streets where they don't last long. Portland is the top destination for the homeless in all the USA because the services are easiest to access. It is also a place where there is the highest percentage of human trafficking in the USA. Please do not lecture me about a lost celebrity's son who cannot think his way to a publicist at a famous Chicago publishing house or an internet portal at the public library. Being once rich and now poor is not a medical condition. It is a happenstance and he has options unlike many of the "other half" including myself.

Anonymous said...

Marietje; Of the comments you made above, that is, the ones I read; I want you to know that I wish you good health and every good thing life has to offer. Just by skimming your post, it is easy to see and understand that you have worked hard, have had many struggles and hard times you've had to face; but I will tell you that once my eyes fell upon how you created a tarot card game, that was it for me.

Please, no disrespect to you as I truly do believe that we are ALL, of our own free will, are entitled to our own opinions and beliefts; however, tarot card reading and games, psychics or anything else that is of the psychic realm in not within my Christian beliefs or Biblical teachings and convictions. I do not look upon these things; therefore, without further ado, I will wish you well and move on. God bless.

marietje said...

Anonymous, may I say that it is rather me that wishes you all the best as this is a comment board for the article on Muhammad Ali, Jr., yet you have twisted it around to single me out and use it as a sounding board for your religion.

Anonymous said...

Not true Marietje at 4:40 p.m. You may have gotten a little confused? That's a question, not an accusation. Reread my earlier posts and you will see that religion in general is not mentioned. It was only when you mentioned your tarot card game practices that I said this type of conversation is not for me, and stated why it isn't. I have not twisted anything around; you said what you said and that's a fact.

To take it a little further, I will tell you that anything of the physic realm is frightening to me. I can't help it if you can't accept my honesty but there you have it, which I am entitled to. I will state again, it is your God given right and free will do practice and believe whatever you like, just as it is mine.

On a positive note: You mentioned that you are Native American? I was wondering if you are eligible to apply and receive money subsidies that has been awarded to a percentage (not a high percentage of blood proof) American Indians who can prove that they are Native American? Or am I wrong about this?

I just know that I have a BIL who is 1/4 American Indian and he was approved had he been able to furnish proof of his Indian heritage which he was unable to do. It would have been quite a tidy windfall for him had he only been able to come forth with his proof.

I'm sure you would know more about these approved Indian affairs than I do; but I was hoping this could be a great benefit to you including your tight rent situation. Good luck.

marietje said...

Your earlier posts? How could I tell when you're anonymous? Nice try. Obviously you did not read what I wrote. That I developed a tarot card GAME. You are the one who went all cloud-cuckoo about psychics, etc. Have you ever read a Chinese fortune cookie insert or the inside of a Bazooka Joe bubblegum wrapper? If you have you better start running from yourself in fright right now! Because you have participated in fortune telling! BOO! Are you by chance Sean Adkins? Because you certainly are beginning to sound like a cherry-picking psychopath. http://uscombatsports.com/index.php?option=com_flexicontent&view=items&cid=151&id=7451&Itemid=372. A similar interview to the one Muhammad Ali, Jr. did in the Daily Mail. Comments are interesting.

Anonymous said...

Marietje, I'm starting to feel really sad for your confusion that seems to go in various directions. PLEASE, I do not intend to insult or demean you by saying this; I actually do care and can see that you are really stressed. Honestly, you sound as if your nerves are on edge and I am so sorry for that. I can't say, maybe mine would be too if I'd gone through all you have.

BTW, yes; I did go back and read your entire post. I saw that you had taken time and worked hard on it and it deserved to be read. You've traveled many long roads and had many struggles; also, you've done all you can to help others along the way; you've even created opportunities to help yourself and others. I admire you for these things.

Where am I going with this? I don't know, I just want you to calm down and if there is anything I can say that might help to this end, that is what I'm trying to do. That is why I mentioned the possibility of your attaining some subsidy help thru your American Indian heritage, if this could be possible.

I am not reflecting back on any insults or false accusations you have made towards me as they really don't much matter to me since I know what is true and what isn't concerning my own life, so let's just let all this unpleasantness end; and just know that I wish you well in everything you do. God bless.

Anonymous said...

This is a fascinating instance of understanding a subject's internal dictionary.

For Muhammed Jr.:

*Father* is used when he is feeling pride or referencing the public persona of Mohammed Ali. His Father is "The Greatest" the charming funny Ali in his prime. Girls and friends wanted to meet his Father. His Father was comical and did magic tricks and played jokes. He wants his Father to see his grandkids.

*Dad* is used when there is disappointment or resentment. It wasn't great having Mohammed Ali as his Dad because people were always picking fights. Friends were just using him to meet his Dad. Dad got sick with Parkinson's and then he couldn't have that Father/son relationship. Dad is just a man who is flawed.

*Daddy* is used when there is great worry and a feeling of helplessness. Daddy forgot him at a store. “I used to see him all the time when I was a child. He made sure he was there, would get all the siblings together, and never kept us a secret from each other. I was proud of my daddy. Fame and fortune meant nothing, I just saw him as my daddy.” *He made sure he was there* This phrase indicates worry. Having to make sure means that there is some uncertainty, like making sure you've turned off your iron or making sure your door is locked before you go out. There was an underlying worry that *Daddy* would be a no show even at a planned gathering.

Mohammed Jr. uses the word "Daddy" in the last part of the statement because he is worried. He's worried that his Father will die before he gets to say goodbye. He feels helpless to do anything about Ali Sr.'s condition and that Daddy has forgotten him for good. So sad.
Anon J