Many roads are finished in the rain

Sunlight came through the window when I woke, and I thought it would be a clear day.

I set out on my bike in a good mood, but the sun had already disappeared.

The people on the road were hurrying, unsmiling.

A breeze on my face felt pleasant at first.

Then the rain began.

Stopping to open an umbrella might make me late, so I kept going as it grew heavier.

Rain was not the only thing to watch for: pedestrians changed pace, bicycles and e-bikes swerved, and cars kept passing.

There was no chance to ride leisurely or enjoy the view. I stayed tense, imagining what might happen and how I would react.

With only minutes left to ride, the rain grew harder, as if urging me to go faster.

Someone said, “A little rain will not hurt a young person.” I accepted that without much thought. I needed to get there.

A little rain was nothing beside the harder things that might lie ahead.

I rode on at a steady pace and reached my destination. By the time I parked, the rain was hammering the ground. I tucked my bag under my arm and ran the last ten meters into the office building with everyone else.

The moment I got inside, excitement filled me. The ride seemed to vanish from my mind.

Looking back, I think this: often the result depends less on the weather than on whether you finish the road in the rain.

My clothes soon dried, almost as though nothing had happened.