Euphoria and depression

The taxi driver had a bad day yesterday, but today he is doing well. He told me that some days balance out other days and that what you need to consider is the average.

“And not even the monthly average,” he adds, “but the annual average, because there are also bad months and good months.”

We remained silent for a few moments, and both turned to the question of average. After a while he speaks again:

-This is how we should calculate happiness too: on average. The good news outweighs the bad, births and deaths.

The man drives slowly, just as he speaks. I envy his serenity and tell him that. He told me that he doesn't always wake up in the same mood.

– He admits that there are days at work when I climb the walls. Today I woke up at peace with myself and the world. I got out of bed little by little, took a shower little by little, ate my breakfast little by little…

– The important thing – I interrupt him with a touch of sarcasm – is the middle ground between nerves and calm.

Or between depression and euphoria – as he says. Years ago, I was always cheerful. Then I became depressed with fear, and I almost killed myself. I started treatment and now my condition is stable. Some days are better and others are worse, but statistically, at the end of the year the average between good days and bad days is acceptable.

I wonder if I'm talking to a sane or crazy person. In any case, the ratio he reached between insanity and sanity is not bad. Then the driver's cell phone rings and he hangs up hands-free. It's his wife, she says she's rushing to the hospital because their father has just been admitted. When he hung up, he looked at me in the rearview mirror:

– Yesterday, on the other hand, they laid off my mother – he says. One thing for another.

I arrive at the work meeting in a conciliatory spirit that does not last long because aggressive interventions are preferred over moderate ones. I come home in a bad mood, defecate in unbearable traffic, and long for an acceptable compromise between reality and my desires.