Taxi Drive

Interesting incident in a taxi the other day. I was returning after a busy two days in a Southern City in the U.S. I came out of the office building and was attempting to get a taxi, when two taxi drivers got into a fight competing for my business.

I just walked to the guy who I thought was first in line and did not think much of it.

You know how it is when you are on your return trip home - your thoughts are to get to the airport and go home; and not want too much chit chatting.


But this taxi driver wanted to talk. He was a big African American man and was engaging me in a conversation. I pretended to answer a phone or read my b'berry but that did not last long and he starting talking again.

So I was forced to listen.

He said he was a boxer. I rolled my eyes to myself. Then he want on to say he was once a sparring partner with Muhammad Ali.

I was thinking to myself, 'good god, now I have to put up with this delusional dude who lives a fantasy life driving a taxi'.

He then went on to say he is a retired cop from NYC and he was now living with his family in Charlotte. When he said that, I straightened up not wanting to offend a cop, retired or not.

Then he reached out to his right to the passenger seat and took out a worn out album. And opened up to a couple of photographs.

AND THERE HE WAS BOXING WITH ALI!

He looked great as a young man. Well built and rather handsome. He had my full attention now, I asked him about his life as a boxer. He said that he made $100K per fight and he fought for a few years as a young man and said that he was always careful with his money.

Then he got out of boxing and became a cop. When he retired he sold his house in Brooklyn for a nice sum and got himself a big home for half the money in Charlotte for his retirement. He drove hs nice Lincoln Town car as a taxi service because he loved interacting with people and did not want to be bored at home.

I asked him about his family. He was very proud of his children. His two boys became cops and one of his daughters was a doctor.

We were now coming up on the airport. And then he dropped this gem on me.

He said that he wanted his children to do better than him and he did not want his boys to go into boxing. But he wanted each of his children to learn one lesson from his boxing experience.

He said, "you never go into a boxing ring saying I will coast through this fight. Or I am not in the mood, I will fight half-heartedly. When you go into the boxing ring, you need to give it your all. There are no half measures. You need to leave everything in the boxing ring if you want to win, or even if you want to survive."

He proceeded to say, "this is what I taught my children. Don't go into boxing. But treat your careers, your interactions each as thought you are in a boxing match. Give it your everything. Don't leave anything behind. Otherwise don't go into the match."

I just sat there stunned. As I got off the taxi and paid him, I said, "the other taxi driver who was fighting with you as to who would get the fare - - he did not have a chance against you did he?!"

He smiled, and wished me all the luck in my life and asked me to call him when I returned to Charlotte again.

His words have been ringing in my ears since. I go into a meeting now saying to myself, "you know what....I am going to give my everything here. Leave nothing behind!"