ON: Did you have a stereotypical midlife crisis?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Serious Conversation
Some people have stereotypical midlife crises. One of my uncles is a very high income earner and got tired of his wife of fifteen years (who was fifteen years younger than him) when he was about 55. He got a dog, and started seeing the dog's trainer (who is the same age as his former wife, but a knock out), and married her. Since 2011, he's been married to two different women, kicked the third wife out a few times, bought two homes, bought a Porsche (since sold at third wife's direction), took a $50k hit on a boat, generally drifting from crisis to crisis.
Did you have this kind of thing crop up in your 40s or 50s?
Did you have this kind of thing crop up in your 40s or 50s?
To wit, I have a great job, and tolerable vacation allowance. I'm grateful for that, in these dodgy economic times. Just got back from three weeks in Africa, on a strenuous vacation (riding adventure motorcycles 4,700km from Cape Town SA to Victoria Falls ZIM in 17 riding days). There is a finite amount of time I'll be able to keep riding like that, I've ridden since about 1987 and know guys who ride at age 65. Not much beyond that, though, and it takes something out of the older guys in-particular. It takes a moderate amount out of me, too, at 47 vs. say when I was 17 or 27.
I'm going to try and take an adventure vacation every year from now on, if funds will support it, until further notice. Alone, usually, because my peers to a (wo)man have problems with kids in college, divorces, jobs, complaining rebound girlfriends/boyfriends, other usual stuff that thankfully has little or nothing to do with me. Few, if-any, women I've met across the decades can keep up with how I live so that's probably out, too. Big words, but it is what it is. I don't have that 27 y.o. girlfriend yet, though. I do have the midlife-crisis car (Porsche 911 Turbo). No hairpiece needed, yet. I refuse to become a fat and demented old White guy, however, haunting places like Phuket or Costa Rica for the younger ladies. Could see going that way, I'll consciously try not to however.
Intending to retire at 60, if not sooner, if the economy cooperates (I suspect it won't, but a man must plan best he is able).
I've been "living" rather wild in some ways for decades. Curbed the drinking and other bodily abuse two decades ago, now I take more-calculated risks (vs. simple recklessness) and hope there are good years ahead. We'll see: no guarantees.
To another person's point (on the quoted thread), my "paid employment" is a passion, but not my life-driver. I agree there are few who get to live that dream, and I envy those who do. Still, I'm good at what I do, and find it energizing to a degree, but it's also super-competitive and thus stressful. The highs are very high, the lows abysmal, in terms of job satisfaction. Thus, I look forward to going part-time at some point (consulting) since it pays quite well and when I don't "need" full time income, will be great to still bring in $50-100K in my spare time.
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