Things that made me smile

I was on my way to the sports ground when an elderly lady—probably around 75 to 80 years old—overtook me on an aluminum bike. I thought, Nope, not on my watch. So I tried to speed up.
She noticed, gave me a knowing smile, and picked up the pace.

I gave it everything I had. My speedometer showed 35 km/h—which, on an aluminum bike, is no joke—while we raced along a road where the speed limit was officially just 25 km/h. No matter how hard I pushed, I couldn’t overtake her. She simply smiled again, waved goodbye, and left me in the dust with an unspoken, Nice try, but not today.

I arrived at the sports ground completely exhausted. As I caught my breath, I glanced at the wall bulletin and did a double take. Wait a second… Do I know that face?

There it was:
"We congratulate Elfriede R. (name redacted) for winning the local triathlon championship—for the fifth year in a row in the 70+ age category."

Well, damn. Picked the wrong rival. - Still made me smile. Especially the absurdity...

 

I often listen to instrumental music while working. This evening was particularly serene—a quiet sunset over the industrial area where I work. I was doing overtime, and the track playing caught my attention: a rhythmic thumping, layered with synthesized, monotonous beats—almost like a jackhammer. Birds were chirping in the background, blending with an asynchronous buzzing, like a distant saw.

It went on for about 15 minutes… Until I realized YouTube had stopped playing. I had just been listening to the natural ... well, "natural" evening sounds of the area.

I smirked and went home.

 

I was riding my bike to work when I saw something in front of me: a Christmas bauble lying on the ground. Its shards sparkled in the light; it was only slightly cracked and looked a little lost. I stopped, picked it up, and examined the fine fracture.

“Don’t worry about being a little broken,” I whispered to it. “You can still shine with your friends.”

It felt as if this made it happy. I hung it back. On the tree, the other baubles welcomed it without hesitation. And as I rode away… it was that very one that shimmered a bit brighter than the rest.