Real mid-life crises
 

Who has experienced a real mid-life crisis? I mean a turning point that was more significant than changing the cut of your pants.

Mine -
I was 55. Wifey was gone, business was going so well it almost ran itself. I decided to go back to flying. But I couldn't pass my 3rd class medical. High blood pressure and my eyesight was iffy.
I went to a doc who confirmed the above plus high cholesterol, high PSA, and stated that it was high time someone stuck a camera up my behind and one down my throat too just for good measure and get a heart stress test. That was the day I realized I was no longer a young man.
It really did feel like a crisis. The idea of running to Vegas and renting a red Ferrari and and long legged blonde with a bag of cocaine for one last fling briefly crossed my mine (can you get that as a package?).
I responded a little less self destructively. I did buy a motorcycle and a bulldozer because I hadn't had a bike in years and I'd always wanted a dozer. I started running because I refused to believe I was so old I had to use maintenance drugs for BP and cholesterold control. Ended up running marathons which was totally unexpected. If you had told me when I was 50 that I would someday finish 20,536th in the Paris marathon I would told you not in this lifetime, so it was kind of like starting a different life, and my life has been different ever since.

Mine was not so much a crisis as an awakening. A couple minor health issues that I treated as signs of what could be coming unless I changed my habits somewhat. Instead of waiting for something big I used the small 'hints' as motivation to get more exercise, change my attitude and pay better attention to my family and friends. And yes, buying a 911 at 50 was an affordable way to help improve my mood!

You sound like a winner to me, wdfifteen.
All the best moving forward.

Same here. I told my wife it was either a 21 year old bimbette or an older 911. Seriously? No. There were always enough other crises in play to keep me distracted.

Ian

At 39 years of age....My business partner embezzles us both into bankruptcy, leaving me to tell our 24 staff members we are closing in two weeks thanks for playing. Six weeks before that I was diagnosed with intestinal cancer and I found out my wife of 19 years was screwing a 21 year old kid...marriage over. Led to an actual crisis....anxiety is still something I battle sometimes. Every day now is a quest for happiness!! Surrounded by good friends, the love of a great woman and the occasional drive in an economical 30 year old German sports car!!!

THUMBS UP!!!

Never had a crisis. Aging is a slow process - for me there are plenty of opportunities to realize what's going on and for making adjustments. This is true for health and also personal enjoyment subjects. I am a "family man" and work hard, but I do take time to be selfish. I.e. I have had a "hot" car since my late 20s when I could afford it.

One big thing I want to start is flying. But that I am putting off, because it just is too expensive to do right. Once the kids are finished with their education, I will pull the trigger. Maybe start taking lessons a little earlier. I think that will be the only thing that will look like a symptom of a ML crisis to bystanders. ;)

G

If you take the normal, divorce, younger girlfriend, sports car thing, then I had mine when I was 34. I don't think it was a mid-life crisis, though...

The first time a high school age girl working the counter in a fast food joint called me "sir". I was 23. I was crushed. :rolleyes:

Today I ate in an upscale restaurant on Tremont Street in Boston across from the Wang Theatre and remembered how I'd work in the building in 1975 when it was a submarine sandwich shop. 38 years ago! Dang!

A pretty serious heart attack about 11 years ago made me realize my time is limited and I am no longer a young man. Life changes were in order.

Bernie P

I just turned 40 and I've decided to change my diet, lose weight and I've given up caffeine. I was surprised how much better I felt off caffeine.

please do tell about life w/out caffeine.

At 32 I find myself wondering, "when did the waitresses get so young?" Damn it......

Too funny. I'm 37 and just had that realization over the weekend.

If you look up Midlife Crisis in the dictionary, you'll find a photo of me. Tomorrow, I'm driving all the way across the country to race a Harley Davidson at 150mph on the high banks of Daytona against a bunch of 21 year olds with big money semi trucks. Doesn't get much worse :D

I was on the bus the other day and was going to start flirting with a young chickie. :eek: She stood up and offered me her seat thinking I was a geriatric.


Not true but funny never the less ;)

I was on a work junket a few years ago, when in a shopping mall a colleague commented 'where are all the good looking women that were here last week gone?'. I turned to him and said, 'back to school'.

The week before was a semester break. It brought it home, and we were both in our late 20s.

Not really at midlife crisis stage yet, but it's sobering to think that Nirvana's Nevermind came out 22 years ago.

I am 45 and ready for one. I have worked hard, single income last 10 years, paid off house, funded college education, funded a good chunk of retirement. Now I am ready to not work so damn hard and have wife get a job with health insurance and chill as primary care giver dad.

I'm not a midlife crisis type of guy, but I did think it was funny when I went to see John Fogerty in Charlotte in '97 (I was about 46) and in the bathroom after the opening act (The Bottlerockets), some guy washing his hands looked around and said to his friend, "Man, everybody here is OLD."

Maybe he was having a midlife crisis.