Friend, what do you see in this picture?

If we ignore the bowl cut, you’ll see a kid who has no clue what life has in store for him. All he wanted was to play with his Legos and run around in the backyard.

I grew up in a working-class family, so I know what the struggle is like for so many Americans. It wasn’t easy at times, but if there’s one thing my early life taught me, it’s to never give up.

I’ll be honest: There wasn’t always enough money growing up, so I started working at a young age. Paper routes, Arbys, construction — and after high school I enlisted in the National Guard to help pay for college.

Then, right as I was preparing to graduate, 9/11 happened. It was a defining moment. Like so many others, I felt the call to serve my country. I went active duty and became an Army Ranger, putting my life on the line to defend our nation’s values.

I came back stateside after serving three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. I wanted to continue giving back, so I offered pro-bono legal services to help veterans transition to civilian life.

Then Donald Trump became president. Extremists began threatening to strip away our health care. Immigrants were being demonized. Even our democracy felt fragile.

I felt that call to step up and serve again, so after long discussions, I decided to run for office. Our country needed a new generation of leadership — one that seeks to unite us, not divide.

Coloradans agreed. In 2018, I became the first Democrat to ever represent Colorado’s 6th congressional district. It’s been full speed ahead ever since.