“We just got passed by Mary Poppins!”
Her bike was a cruiser. Upright position, wide handlebars, even a basket in front. The only thing missing was the funky hat.
Our FRONT RANGE TOUR team was cranking up the Palmer Divide, a fairly stout climb on the way to Colorado Springs. Our riders were a bit discouraged when this prim-and-proper nanny-looking lady buzzed by them.
A few miles later we saw her again. As she whizzed past, things made more sense. She was riding an e-bike! Now everyone felt better. Turns out Mary Poppins was getting some battery-powered help.
We all enjoyed a laugh, and for the next couple of hours I think I heard folks humming “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Cute story, one I think includes a more serious lesson.
Our team was fine with being passed by someone on an e-bike…no shame in that, right? But when they thought it was just Mary Poppins cranking a big, heavy cruiser bike…THAT was discouraging, perhaps even embarrassing.
The whole attitude changed when they realized she was receiving help. One moment the conversation was Wow, we’re slower than HER! Then it changed to Well, what do you expect?
See what’s happening? One moment we were crummy cyclists…then we weren’t…all because we got caught up in comparing.
She’s faster on a clunky bike, so she must be an amazing rider. And I must be slow, out-of-shape, a worthless slug unworthy of sharing the road with her. (Okay, maybe it’s not that extreme, but you get the idea.)
Oh, it’s an e-bike? Well, she’s not even a real cyclist (like me), right?
Unless we’re racing, comparing is silly and self-defeating. We’re riding to create relationships and support the kids at the HOME OF HOPE. How fast others ride, e-bike or not, doesn’t impact any of that.
Jesus doesn’t compare. He just invites each of us to follow.
I wonder…where else do you and I beat ourselves up with unnecessary comparisons?
And I’ll bet you’re humming “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” right now.