Is it Time for Your Mid-Life Crisis?

Is being 44 years old considered mid-life? Supposing I live to 88 it is. What if the plans are that I live only to 70 and I have missed my opportunity to have a mid-life crisis?

You know, the time when you reevaluate who you are, where you are in the spectrum of where you wanted to be, what you have done with your life and answer the question of why you were put on this earth. Basic, simple questions that need and should be answered every 30-40 years if you want to or not.

Men used to have a monopoly on having mid-life crises. But with the onslaught of women's rights and freedom of speech, women have increasingly taken the opportunity to benefit from this time of life where self-analysis is necessary for well-being and redemption.

Don't confuse mid-life crisis with the peri-menopausal, menopausal, or post menopausal time of a woman's life - that would be the guaranteed 20 years (defined by a male doctor, no less) of hormonal changes that give women the benefits of moodiness, shopping sprees and long, hot baths.

I was in my twenties and first learned, what I feel, was the honest definition of the term mid-life crisis.

I was in a business meeting and one of the vice-presidents pointed out his window and pointed to a very "hot", very expensive, red sports-car in the parking lot. He went on to say he was having a mid-life crisis and his choices were to a) change his job, b) change his family life or c) buy a sports car (red being the first color of choice, but any color will do). He chose (c) because in his words that was the easiest and the least costly of the options. Wise beyond words, this man made quite the impression on me.

I think I should get started taking an inventory of my life in preparation of my mid-life crisis. This may take a while, more than an hour.

I am not sure where you start and when you know you are actually finished. Does everyone have a mid-life crisis? How do you know if you are going to have one?

Does the ramp-up of this mid-life crisis take into consideration only the time from after you get married or when you got your first job? Should you throw in college, high school and camp experiences when you were able to discuss what you wanted to do with your life, honestly and upfront, with almost perfect strangers? And then, after this time of reflection does the "crisis" begin or is it actually the whole process? I can see this is going to be more superfluous than I imagined. When does it end? Will it happen again? Does it hurt?

My plan is to start my mid-life crisis a week from Monday. I look forward to it, I embrace it and I am scared as hell of what I may find...in the mean time I'm looking to buy a cute, little sports car...red no less, just so I look really good (and that as we know, is half the battle) while I am awaiting the outcome.

Cynthia A. McClelland, curious observer of the obvious with interpretations of the oddities of daily life. Mother, wife and lover of the furry, resides in the north Lake Tahoe area.

Cynthia A. McClelland © 2003-