The taxi driver who drove me from the airport to my apartment said without any introduction or explanation: “I’m an optimist, that’s the only way to get through life.”
Then he asked: “Where did you fly in from today?”
“Amsterdam,” I answered.
“I worked in Tilburg,” he said, “as a tree surgeon.”
He waited for me to say something, so I asked: “What does a tree surgeon do?”
“Heal trees,” he said, “but mainly it’s about transporting trees. Rich people don’t want to wait till their garden is ready. They want a finished garden. Then they call a tree surgeon to gather some nice trees for them.”
“So I assume it’s not easy for a tree surgeon to find a job these days?”
“It isn’t easy,” he answered, “even the rich people nowadays believe they can do without a tree surgeon. But as I said: don’t worry about things you cannot change.”