What's over your shoulder?

Metaphorically speaking, of course, what is over your shoulder when you have a look?
This interesting question was raised for me yesterday when I met Pat Day, a former champion jockey from the United States. He's in Australia to meet with the Australian Racing Chaplaincy for a few days and he really is a passionate man.
After an amazing career in horse racing he retired a few years back and has been preaching the word to the racing industry in the USA ever since. He never tires of it. He'd prefer people remember him for the work he is doing now rather than the records he broke in racing.
`The records will always be there but people's memories of them will fade with time,' he said*.
`The way I look at it, when I finished riding I took a step up to what I am doing now, not a step down.'
He said most people put off thinking about the reality of life, preferring to see themselves as immortals who will be around forever.
`When I look over my shoulder I know that I have done business with the Lord,' he said.
`Only when someone gets sick or dies do we stop and think about our own mortality. Most of the people here have put all that aside, until later.'
It was inspirational to meet such a person, someone who spoke with genuine concern for saving people. He's in a tough business, where ego and money rule and he is making inroads.
As an aside, I was invited to attend a conference in Louisville, Kentucky nexy year. While it's unlikely I will make it, it was great to be asked. There are several issues to consider before I even think about whether I can go, if you know what I'm talking about.
But, nevertheless, meeting Pat did again force me to consider what I see when I look over my shoulder.

* This is the essence of what Pat said, not exactly word for word as I wasn't taking notes, it was an informal conversation.