Last week I visited with my girlfriend Amy and her testosterone filled team. As we sit drinking beer the subject of mid-life crises came up; moreover the subject as it relates to her husband, Chris and I. We are both approaching 35 and, each in our own insane way-feeling very restless. The irony is Chris and I could not be more different but this is one area where I totally get where he's coming from. 
I've been thinking about my restlessness since I left that evening and wondering if there is in fact some big existentialist theory as to why people freak out between 35 and 50. Here's what I've come up with. It's totally logical, but don't go writing your thesis on it because,well... after all it's Random Thoughts Thursday and this is me we're talking about. Next week, I could very well conclude that I'm no longer restless and that it was due to Mercury's position. Or, further that I was never restless and it was merely a delusional result of pesticides in my produce.
Okay, so are you ready? When you're young there is so much to do and it's all new, so you're restless all the time. You wanna play blocks, dig in your ass, pull on your parts, make new sounds and more. This goes on for a few years and then you calm down for a bit before you discover other people and you're restless again; you wanna play with their parts and dig in their asses and talk to them on the phone until your parents rip it from the wall. Then, you marry that person and you calm down for an extended period of time, before you know it you're old and you realize you're going to die soon (2012 is what they tell me) and what do you know...you get restless all over again! Only, you can't dig, pull or 'discover' anymore lest ye suffer the mightiest smite...so what do you do? Well, I'm writing and crafting, creating, photographing and, totally tapping into my inner freaky flower child. (Twirls around barefoot amongst the dandelions.) Men, (Sighs.) they embarrass themselves on the basketball court with their sons' and once they've worn down the cartilage in their joints and inflamed all their bursae, they go out and buy a motorcycyle.
What are your thoughts on middle aged restlessness or any other random ramblings of a restless mind?
I've been thinking about my restlessness since I left that evening and wondering if there is in fact some big existentialist theory as to why people freak out between 35 and 50. Here's what I've come up with. It's totally logical, but don't go writing your thesis on it because,well... after all it's Random Thoughts Thursday and this is me we're talking about. Next week, I could very well conclude that I'm no longer restless and that it was due to Mercury's position. Or, further that I was never restless and it was merely a delusional result of pesticides in my produce.Okay, so are you ready? When you're young there is so much to do and it's all new, so you're restless all the time. You wanna play blocks, dig in your ass, pull on your parts, make new sounds and more. This goes on for a few years and then you calm down for a bit before you discover other people and you're restless again; you wanna play with their parts and dig in their asses and talk to them on the phone until your parents rip it from the wall. Then, you marry that person and you calm down for an extended period of time, before you know it you're old and you realize you're going to die soon (2012 is what they tell me) and what do you know...you get restless all over again! Only, you can't dig, pull or 'discover' anymore lest ye suffer the mightiest smite...so what do you do? Well, I'm writing and crafting, creating, photographing and, totally tapping into my inner freaky flower child. (Twirls around barefoot amongst the dandelions.) Men, (Sighs.) they embarrass themselves on the basketball court with their sons' and once they've worn down the cartilage in their joints and inflamed all their bursae, they go out and buy a motorcycyle.
What are your thoughts on middle aged restlessness or any other random ramblings of a restless mind?
6 comments:
I think it has something with wanting to leave our mark on the world, something that says, "I was here", (hopefully in a good way!)
No one wants to be forgotten when they're gone!
Interesting about the Mayan belief that the world will end in 2012. At first I thought you were referring to the end of free internet. (You see what's important to me....)
Happily, as of yet anyway, I haven't hit the mid-life crisis stage.
*crosses fingers*
Restlessness is wanting to be a cop @ age 35 and wanting to buy a motorcycle working out like a freak going on a diet so you look good this summer by the pool.This is the life of the girlfriend Amy and my testosterone filled team.
McDonough
I'm right there with you in the dandelions. And you know what, I feel as free as I did when I was 5. If that's a midlife crisis then I'm cool with that.
I am ready for my midlife crisis. Bring it on! I miss that itch and drive to keep moving that I had when I was a teenager. Now I just want to sleep. I think that when my baby is older and I have more time, I will be ready to go back out into the world and try to tackle it again. Hopefully by then I will be smarter about some things.
I'm 38 and I have my 2nd step-mom. Ask my dad about the mid-life crisis. ;)
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