Mid-Life Crisis!!!

I put several exclamation points on the title of this post, but truly that's misleading. Frankly, my mid-life crisis has been less than dramatic.

I suppose it started when I bought the motorcycle a few years back. It was strictly an opportunity purchase...a friend mentioned the bike was for sale, it was cheap...boom. Done. I didn't think too much of what this represented, except for a chance to have fun and bring back memories from high school.

Supposedly our country entered the current economic recession perhaps a year before it was "official," the data analyzed and pronouncements made. That reminds me of my mid-life crisis...it sort of crept up on me, and I was probably well into before identifying it as such.

But the data start to pile up, and I had no choice but to realize the truth. My back gives me twinges, my Optometrist tells me I need bifocals, I realize I really am old enough to be the father of the college students I teach.  The youthful Paul scratches to get out: taking up poker games with the guys, brewing beer at home, and just trying to keep a sense of fun about me.

That's all well and good. But my mid-life crisis also manifested in an entirely different way, with bouts of self-reflection. It's been healthy, I think, and hopefully will help me focus. I asked...What am I doing? What legacy will I leave behind? These were deep questions, but not at all depressing, but rather affirming.

So, I'm pondering myself professionally, as a husband, as a father...and simply as a human. Perhaps that's part of the impetus for this blog?  More musings to come.

In the meantime, Rules of the Road for guys contemplating a Mid-Life Crisis:
1. Don't fear this. This is healthy. Use it to improve.
2. Yes, you're getting older, and Yes, you'll feel it. So what? That's what's SUPPOSED to happen.
3. Go ahead, have some fun. If budget allows, get a fun toy. Pal around with the guys.
4. Find some time to think, analyze, assess your life. You've probably accomplished more than you give yourself credit for. Start by asking if the people around you are better off for your presence. Be honest---hopefully the answer is yes. If not, then you have more to worry about than those extra twenty pounds, receding hairline, or not making your first million by age 40.  But if you have family and friends who care about you and vice-versa, you're probably doing all right. Go ahead and set a few goals, make mid-course corrections, and enjoy the ride. To quote Red Green: "We're all in this together!"