Essay:Do you know me?

Do you know me?
You have seen me at the races. I ride that couple year old bike, and have that somewhat obscure jersey. I race with you. Sometimes I mess-up, pick the wrong line, pick the wrong tactic etc. But do you really know me. When you look at me do you see me as I really am? Am I a great father, a loving husband, stellar employee, or struggling business owner?
Or have you turned me into an object? Are you going to yell at me in the race, or stare me down before? Are you going to turn your back on me as you sit with your team mates?

Do you know the price that I have paid to be here? Have I overcome physical or emotional challenges? Have I been up at 5 in the morning so that I can ride before I go to work to provide for my family? Do I ride to work when I am hungry because I can’t afford the gas in the car or the fancy energy food in my pocket? Am I struggling to come back to form after serving others in a distant place for 2 years? Am I a student working my way through college?

We would all do well to look within ourselves and think about the way we look at others.
We are all comrades. We have a passion for the same thing. The bike, the effort, the rush. Do I deserve respect for just showing up?