The Bike Race

I will start just after sunrise, when the temperatures are coolest.  Two hours before I am allowed, disqualified in a race I could never win.  I will ride without my fellow competitors tempting me to go faster.   I will find that drive from within … down dusty, dirt roads on a sweltering day.  

My life has never been about winning; it’s about achievement.  Do I lack the ability to dominate in an event like the many athletes that we watch in the Olympics?  I have NEVER been the BEST, but always finished.  Not the short race, but the long tedious race that demands hours of training, attention to obscure details, and the drive to always be moving toward the finish line.

There’s little difference between this race and other accomplishments in my life.  Maintaining friendships, building organizations, staying healthy, keeping my family glued together.   They are the long races …   

When I finish in 8, 9 or 10 hours, I will celebrate my achievement with an entire day of sleep, interrupted by consuming salty food that heals my body.  

My life is NOT about winning.   It’s about achievement.  That long race down dusty, dirty roads, the place where I find my drive from within.