What was your midlife crisis?

When I was 35 years old and still living at home, I asked a doctor to commit me, and I spent five months in the hospital, and released with housing in another city. I’m 36 and I have more opportunity.

Since 2002, my life’s been a series of unfortunate events and decisions. The events were caused by other people and circumstances, and they were beyond my control. The decisions weren’t hasty, stupid, or ill-advised; I considered them carefully and made what should have been wise choices, but they didn’t work out.

I guess I’m saying that I’ve had a long string of bad luck. Before then, things had gone very well for many years. I really wish I could turn my life around, while I’m still middle-aged, and start to enjoy life again.

I’m still waiting to grow up so I can have mine. Then I’ll get the hot sports car, wear my shirt open to the navel, and get some gold chains for my neck. Any takers ladies? If you do I’m running. That’s so gross.

Oh man….it was a wild ride, yes it was. lol
Lets see, hit about 38, my marriage of 18 years was in the toilet, my daughter was going into middle school which signified the end of the mommy era.
I discovered my ex husbands philandering ways, totally blew my reality to smithereens.
Took 3 more years of alternating denial and a nervous break-through to move forward with a divorce.

I was 43.

The last 10 years have been wonderful, well…going through a financial strain right now, but, I can say that the growth and enlightenment I experienced exceeds words.
Best thing that ever happened to me, but in the thick of the dark night of the soul it certainly didn’t feel that way.

I went part time on my job. I lost 80 lbs and had a “mommy makeover.” (Tummy tuck and boob lift. )
In a lot of ways all those were very good things for me. I also did a lot of travel around the world.
I do feel like I am not as up to date on my chosen industry as I used to be since I’ve backed off. I think it was worth it though. I’ve been slipping on the health and fitness front so right now I can say its pretty obvious that my reaction to that midlife crisis led me to feeling the best I had in my life.
I need to get back to that healthy focus because I’m starting to feel like crap again.

I don’t think what I’m going through is a midlife crisis as such, but rather a crisis in my 50’s—meaning it could have happened to me before because it’s not directly related to age. Some things are the result of bad choices and decisions, but it’s mostly stuff that is beyond my control.

Mine started in my late 30s. I got divorced, bought an MG, took up jogging and lost a lot of weight, dressed “hipper,” and experimented with something I’d been afraid to do in my youth—dating! I did some other things of which I won’t speak except to say I blush now to recall them.

@Pachyderm_In_The_Room Well now that we’re through all that insanity, wanna date me? lololol ;-p

The kids were gone. My spouse was out politicking much of the time. After a certain amount of moping I decided to take charge of the rest of a life that had basically been determined by others. The following 20 years were unexpectedly great. I’m back to caring for family, but my memories are forever. Pack up and go London so as to chunnel to Paris? Fly to Vegas for a few days to see a couple shows? Chicago? Toronto? San Antonio? Vancouver? It was lovely. No regrets.

Just read an article on my homepage yesterday that the 50–54 crowd is now the biggest consumer of marijuana. haha
Count me in…a return to the garden after years of abstinence. lol

@Coloma, I don’t think I’ll ever go back there unless I get glaucoma or something.

I’m still waiting for mine, and I’ll turn 70 soon. Does that mean I get to live to 140?

I’m like @ETpro. I’m 62 and haven’t had a mid-life crisis.

Good health to you!

@Judi Just an occasional thing, but so fun! You should see my garden…haha, nothing like a little creative brain boost, not that I need it, but….we’re talkin’ serious creative focus. lol

@gondwanalon And the same to you. We can hope… :-)

@Coloma, I think I did enough between the ages of 10–15 for a lifetime.

Ugh! I am having a real whopper of a one. For loads of real reasons. I have lost everything I am 50. What the hell is left?

It’s up to me to make the most of it. I will too. Sadness and regret can be stepping stones to wonderful change and I am up for the challenge. Watch this space!

at times though I reserve the right to crumble into a ball and cry for an hour

At 42 I hope I’m still a good ten years from middle age.

@Pachyderm_In_The_Room MG?

@Blackberry MG

After making an obscene amount of money in my 20’s, I became a dentist and and then at age 40 with two little kids and an extremely stressful job I totally went off the rails. My then husband divorced me, easily got custody of our kids, left, and I spiraled into drug addiction and homelessness. But it didn’t destroy my looks, so I married a rich man who used me for a sex slave and I sued him to return to my country and be with my kids. Where I sit now, my money’s running out, I’ve got to figure out something before I lose my house, I need to clean it right now, when I really just want to go to sleep. I’m right there paddling next to @LornaLove

I’m not quite there yet, but when my boyfriend got to 43 he took up lifting weights. He was always very slim. Never lifted weights in his life. Now he is lifting Olympic weights. He has been doing for nearly 5 years now, quite obsessively I would say. I hope my midlife crisis will be a little less dramatic.

@Blackberry, this was my baby.

Count me in…a return to the garden after years of abstinence. lol

@Coloma, I just knew you were a smokin’ babe. ;-)

@Blondesjon, midlife crisis has a way of sneaking up on ya.

Midlife crisis is when you start noticing that everybody else is looking older.

I don’t refer to mine as a mid-life crisis. Mid-life awakening is more like it. I kicked the closet door open and walked outside for the first time in 30 years.

I found this question very poignant and am sorry it wasn’t listed in General, in order to hear more serious and detailed responses.

Somebody I know referred to my sex-transition as a midlife crisis, since I didn’t begin until I was 43. I don’t really see it as such though, because it is something I’ve wanted and planned for from an early age and the only reason I delayed was due to other circumstances.

@Sueanne_Tremendous dare I hope? Omg you are back! thank you jeeesuz

My midlife crisis was thrust upon me when my marriage ended and led to a chaotic period in my life. I was also made redundant and I started a new life in a new country with a new woman. It didn’t work out. The low point was flying back to the UK with no home, no wife no job. It was horribly stressful but led to a new beginning and things are working out far better than I expected. A second late life crisis is now impending but I haven’t told many about it yet.