I simply had to share this post after a rather interesting day at work.

While working on the teeth of an elderly gentleman, we engaged in a conversation about cycling.

I told him that I had recently picked up this sport and was enjoying it immensely. He cracked a joke about his youthful endeavours on his long-gone bike, and we both laughed.

At the end of the appointment he said, “It’s quite rare, isn’t it for people like you to cycle?”

I was slightly confused and a bit shocked, thinking he meant overweight people.

“Pardon?“ I asked.

“Well, I mean black people. Are there many of you, down at your end, who cycle?” (He meant in London.

I replied, “If I thought of myself as a colour, I’d be better able to answer your question.“

With an embarrassed cough, he quickly left my surgery.

When I see him next, I’ll tell him that I’m considering riding my lion into work. The only problem with that is that I’ve become so westernised that I’ll probably try to summon it by calling out: “hello kitty!“- which might not work.

I hope my answer set him straight-but it made me wonder about the questions of race that lurk in the people’s minds.

I could go on….. a rant, or a chant…. but I’ll leave that to you in your comments.