Well, another Dirty Kanza is over and everything is slowly getting back to normal around our house. This year, as usual, we hosted several riders and, as usual they were a delight to be around. I admit that I find the DK riders easier to host than those who come to town for the Glass Blown Open. A lot of that may have to do with the age of the participants and the difference in the physical stamina necessary for the two events as they require different abilities and mindsets. But in spite of the differences, each event enriches our lives and that of the community in a profound way.
Now that we have all of the laundry done and the beds made, we can reflect back on the past week. Hosting complete strangers and traveling has a lot in common. You learn something about others and in the process you often learn a lot about yourself.
I was well into my adult years before I had the time and means to travel any distance. But even low budget trips within the United States, if only to a neighboring state, exposed me to a world outside of my own and rather than appeasing my appetite, only served to make me hungry for more.
The same could be said for entertaining guests. With each new guest we host, I’ve become more fascinated with my fellow travelers and, just as I want to experience every foreign country that I possibly can, I want even more to become acquainted with all the fascinating people that are out there. I want to know their stories. I want to hear about their triumphs. I want to commiserate with them in their struggles. In short, I want to get to know all the people I can…the good, the bad and even the ugly. Because, in the long run their stories are my story. More importantly, their stories put mine in perspective.
I think of the one guy we met last week who lost his wife of eighteen years just a couple of months ago. I think of him racing 200 miles through, and in spite of, his pain. I think of how bittersweet it must have been to finish and not have the one he loved the most there at the finish line to congratulate him.
I think of his friend who, at the last minute, rode his motorcycle all the way from Denver to be his support for the race. That’s what friendship is all about, the willingness to share both joy and sorrow.
Are there lessons for me to be learned about myself in their stories? You bet! Some of them are good lessons, reminders of the times we have persevered and come through difficulties, and some of them reveal how often I fall short. But in this life, if we ignore the lessons that cause us to be critical of ourselves, we will never grow. As one of our guests said after watching the racers come into the checkpoint where he was waiting to support his brother who competed and finished in the 100, “I can either kick back in my recliner and watch the world go by or I can get out there and experience life.”
There are always lessons to be learned along the way. I’m sure all of the participants in the DK learned something about themselves. They most certainly learned something about the Flint Hills of Kansas. Hopefully, they also learned something about the good people who call Emporia home.
Thanks to the DK and the GBO, we get the opportunity at least twice a year to experience life at a different level, even if only vicariously. Jim Cummins and those started the DK some twelve years ago probably could not have envisioned what the DK has become today, a world renown bike race with a reputation for being the “Premier” gravel race in the world. Those of us in Emporia may think that term is just our own hype, but, the truth is the entire biking world is aware of the Dirty Kanza. The Global Cycling Network, a YouTube channel with 1.25 million followers located in Bath, England, reported on the race this weekend alongside the Criterium de Dauphine and the Hammer Series, both bike races in Europe. This worldwide exposure draws participants from all over the world. The same can be said for the Glass Blown Open. These events don’t just expose outsiders to what life is like in small town, middle America, they enlarge our world as well. We are all bound to be changed.
Hopefully, for all of the citizens Emporia and the surrounding area, these events will inspire us to get out there and experience all of the people, places, and things that life has to offer!