Existential Espresso Vol. 1

On Death, Real-Life Rocky story and Friendship

Welcome to the very first edition of Existential Espresso!
Let’s get straight into it.

What I’m reading:

“Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death” by Yoel Hoffmann

As the title says, this book is a collection of Japanese death poems. Hoffmann compiled them and gave introduction and commentary.

But what is a death poem?
Death poem is a genre of poetry that was developed in East Asian cultures, most prominently Japan, China and Korea. More specifically, it originated from Zen Buddhist tradition.

Two main reasons why I’m fascinated with death poems at the moment:

First, I am fascinated by the very fact that such traditions exists. These poems were composed literally right before the person is about to die. Having enough lucidity to compose a poem at such moment tells me that these people had a very, very different relationship with death than most people have today.

The second reason is the content of these poems. They are all unique, as they are written by unique individuals at the most personal moment of one’s existence. However, so many of these poems sound like they are written either by an ancient Stoic philosopher or a 20th century Existential writer.

Stoic, because of how well prepared most of the authors were to meet their end.

Existential, because of the reflections on the nature of existence that some of them had. If you didn’t know the original source of the poem, you would think it was written by a French writer in the 1940s while drinking his (existential) espresso.

“Empty-handed I entered the world
Barefoot I leave it.
My coming, my going —
Two simple happenings
That got entangled.”

- Zen monk Kozan Ichikyo (1283–1360) (Not Albert Camus)

What I’m watching/listening to:

Leon “Rocky” Edwards interviews.

Last Saturday, on 20th of August, the biggest upset and arguably one of the greatest moments in MMA history took place.

If you are not an MMA fan, bear with me for a moment.

This was also a moment that shows why, at least in my opinion, we love and need sports.

Leon Edwards, UFC welterweight contender.
On paper, everything seems right. Winning fights, his win streak getting longer and longer, straight road to a title-shot.

In reality, the most underrated and unfortunate fighter.

Receiving almost no attention from the media and the fans, as well as being extremely underrated in terms of his actual skill as a fighter.
The little attention that he was receiving was people saying how uncharismatic and unlikable he is. And in today’s sports, especially combat sports, that seems to matter as much as actual results.

Unfortunate because, after recovering from an injury that was preventing him from competing, he had 4 fights cancelled because of COVID-19 pandemic.
He became a meme, an example of a fighter that simply cannot get things to go his way.

Fast forward to last Saturday, when Edwards finally got his shot to fight for the title. 24 minutes into the fight, 59 seconds left until the final bell.
Just 59 seconds more and Edwards is going to lose on judges scorecards to the same man who beat him 7 years ago, now champion and widely regarded as one of the best fighters of all time, Kamaru Usman.

But Edwards’s nickname is Rocky, and sometimes, life writes beautiful stories.

Picture-perfect head kick. Usman is unconscious. Leon “Rocky” Edwards is the world champion.

But what makes this moment special is not only the trials and tribulations that Edwards went through during his career. The real struggles were outside of MMA.

From being born in a one-room shack with a leaky roof in Jamaica, moving to England and having his father murdered when he was 13, getting involved in criminal activities, having his mother enroll him in an MMA gym to keep him off the streets, to calling his mother backstage after creating one of the greatest moments in his sports and saying to her “I told you mum. I told you I’d do it.”

From being underrated, disrespected and even laughed at, to becoming one of the most beloved people in MMA.

All it took was one shot. Or at least that’s what it looks like to us.

Actually, all it took was his whole life. Every single struggle and obstacle.

A real-life Rocky story.

And this is why for the last couple of days, I am watching and listening to Edward’s interviews, both recent ones and the older ones.

I want to watch and listen to the person who believed in his destiny when no one else did, and stay composed whenever there was a new obstacle that made his path longer and more difficult.

In the words of Leon “Rocky” Edwards: “You all said I couldn’t do it. Look at me now!'“

What I’m thinking about:

Friendship.

You cannot go through this life alone. You also cannot live only for yourself.

And some people are not so fortunate to have a healthy family, a loving family, or to have a family at all.

I am of a strong believe that true friends are able to make up for the lack of family.

If you have real friends who care about you and have supported you through dark times and low points, consider this:
If you are okay with not making yourself proud, at least try to make them proud.
If you are okay with letting yourself down, don’t let them down.

Become a person that you could be, if not for yourself, then for the people that care about you.

That’s it for this edition of Existential Espresso. I hope this is a beginning of an interesting journey that we’ll embark on together.

Talk to you soon. Until then, stay strong, love life, and never feel sorry for yourself.