[McLovin]

"Mid life crisis" is normally associated with men - the red sports car, affairs, ponytail and earring (or was that only a '90s one?), etc.

But some women experience it, too. And, if you think about the natural, ummm, "hormonal imbalances" that most women tend to suffer from at least to some extent, there is the potential there for some real drama.

Now, I think most people go through at least some kind of "mid life introspection" in their 40s. It seems like an introspective time when people take some assessment of their life, what they've done, where they are going, etc.

I did, when I was in my early/mid 40s. My biggest issue, I think, was career related. I went to a Ivy League school and many of my very close school friends are now Wall Street rock stars, captains of industries, very high and prestigious political appointees, etc. I have been successful, but you generally don't see me on the news and I don't make $1 million+ a year like many of my friends.

In some ways, in my early mid 40s it bothered me, but I got over it pretty quickly. My conclusion was that my life is pretty good, and it would be silly to complain or feel dissatisfied. There's something to be said for relatively stress free living (and, all of my friends have tremendous stress maintaining their careers and lifestyles), I suffered a decade of high stress/high pay work in my 20s and 30s and found it not worth it.

Women, though, have other issues in their 40s. A big one seems to be as the kids start entering late high school age and are getting close to leaving the house, esp. for stay at home or part time work moms. As a man, I don't fully understand it. Because being a stay at home mom in a very financially secure household seems like a pretty sweet gig to me. But I'm not a woman, so I can't really know that perspective.

Anyone have a spouse that has gone through it? What ultimately happened, and how long did it take?