The Clock

How I almost had a mid-life crisis

At around 44, I almost had a mid-life crisis. I was reflecting on a dark time in my life (and the country’s), second-guessing decisions, and planning out the future. I realized that, while experiencing some serious downturns in life, things were better than OK. Then I asked…

What if it hadn’t been OK?

That’s when I understood the mid-life crisis. Even if you are doing well, taking your supplements and exercising, you’re not 30 anymore. There are curtains closing behind you. I always felt old, even as a kid, so that’s not the issue.

What if you had wasted your time? It would have landed on me like a ton of bricks. Decades of skills and friendships and relationships not compounding. Bleak stuff.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t start from 44. I’ve had to “start over” at 39, and at almost 49, and am “starting over” in some significant ways. The difference is that I’m not starting over from zero or a deep hole. (Although I’m mindful of the Zen parable of the farmer: “We’ll see.”)

I am seeing the clock run out on people. It’s distressing. The trend of extended adolescence is a menace.

And because plastic surgery got good, there are hair implants, and most men color their hair, the younger generations believe people are staying “forever young.” It’s all illusion. Veneer. Make-up.

Please don’t let the clock run out on you….