I am going through a mid-life crisis: my profession, while lucrative and steady, is not particularly satisfying; my personal life is a bit of a train-wreck; I am finding myself less and less happy with status quo.

On a whim, about 3 weeks ago, I decided to apply to grad school at a couple of colleges to get an advanced degree in Mass Communication. I plan to seek employment as a college instructor, eventually.

Prepping for the GRE, while challenging, is fairly easy after a bar exam. Thank goodness I remember a lot more about math that I predicted.

What about you all - any of you people ever have an urge to scratch a mid-life crisis? If so, did you take the plunge into the unknown or put the lid on and hoped it would pass?

Not sure where mid-life is for you but, I’m 57 now, and when I was 28, I got divorced, no children fortunately. Then remarried when I was 36. Those 8 years of being single were probably what saved me from getting bored with my career as an Electronic Engineer. Before I knew it, I had a daughter, mortgage, and people depending on me for my income. Every time I looked into doing something else, the pay-cut made the opportunity prohibitive. Fortunately for me, just when I *did* get real bored as an EE, I had an opportunity to change my career and still get paid very well.

The change was to Technical Writing, which I’ve been doing for some 21 years now, and I’m bored with this career as well. And just like before, every time I look into doing something else, the pay-cut makes the opportunity prohibitive, because I still have people depending on me for my income.

The circle of life…

I never found myself bored with medicine and I plan on continuing to practice until I am just too old or too feeble.

I find myself bored to tears when I am off. I can no longer get out on the golf course or tennis court as I used to and sitting watching others enjoy thmeselves is not my cup of tea.

Fixing broken and sick people appeals to me.

I am on a financial plan that will have me completely out of debt in 5 years (including my house!) so that if I want to change work at that point I won't have to worry about how much money I make. I enjoy my job now. I've been doing the same kind of work for 5 years. But in another 5 years I'm probably going to be tired of working so hard, traveling a lot, etc.

If I do decide to keep doing this kind of work for a few more years then I'll be just that much more ahead from investing all the money that isn't going to pay off debt. In the past I've worked and made as much money as I could because I've had to. In the future I will work at a job because I want to and because I enjoy it.

It is hard giving up a lot of nice things that I don't allow myself to buy anymore but it will be worth it in the long run.

quote:

Originally posted by Bones:
While I was an over-the-road truck driver, I listen to alot of "talk radio". Big surprize, right? I heard a program talking about men and their careers. Average guy changes his job about every 3 or 4 years, and will change his career field about every 5 or 6 years. When a guy changes, he will usally down grade his work. Pay cut, responibles, and workload/days and hours. He will justify this move by talking about "BURN-OUT" and all of the "STRESS". In my own case, I just didn't care anymore, took my last contract knowing that I was bailing out as soon as it was possible, and was going to go "fishing".

I'm 32 and I'm having one now while I can still enjoy it.

The mid-life crisis ends in mid June when I get on the bird for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Until then, I'm trying to pack as much fun as possible into the weeks I have left.

Of course depending on how the deployment goes, one could call it an end-of-life crisis... but you have to keep laughing or else you'll start crying.

BT

Thanks for the service, BT. Got a couple buds over there right now.

All the best!

quote:

Originally posted by Big Tobacco:
I'm 32 and I'm having one now while I can still enjoy it.

The mid-life crisis ends in mid June when I get on the bird for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Until then, I'm trying to pack as much fun as possible into the weeks I have left.

Of course depending on how the deployment goes, one could call it an end-of-life crisis... but you have to keep laughing or else you'll start crying.

BT

Sorry to hear about the crisis, MeanWillie...but it's great to hear you've found a remedy...

I had a "third-life crisis"...that's why I quit a very comfortable job and returned to law school..Definitly a "plunge" into the unknown for me, but I'm happy with the decision...

jag

I too am having a midlife crisis and I never expected to have one at 34. I lost my job about 2 years ago and when that happened I went out on my own as a consultant in my field. Well since so many Federal contracts had cuts there are now tons of consultants and not enough work. I am trying to get back to working for a company by taking interviews, while I take on a few small projects to keep me with some money coming in.

I guess I am lucky in that I do not have a wife or children yet so I'm really only having an impact on my own existance.

I worked for an agency for seven years, then they laid me off. Then I started doing consulting. Then I got hired by my old agency again - doing the same thing for 50% more money. So I got rid of my freelance clients. Then the same agency fired me a second time.

The next week my second daughter was born.

The week after that, my wife's company went out of business.

That was last October. Fortunately, my wife and I are savers and investors, so we were all right. She ended up getting another job and I decided to take some time off - a more or less permanent sabbatical - from advertising and marketing. So I used my contacts and started freelance writing for magazines. I don't think I'll ever go back to advertising again.

I'm 45 and have been working for the Government in Contracts for 19 years. I'm completely burned out and as a taxpayer, offended by what I see each day. However I am past the point of no return in this career. My mid life crisis involved starting to smoke cigars and repowering my boat. I've got 11 years until I retire and I think I can make it. As I get older I'm learning to relax more and focusing on having fun after work. My greatest fear is making it to retirement then having health issues. I know more than a few individuals who worked hard, scrimped and saved for retirement then had a heart attack soon after. Always wondered if the post retirement "Honey-Do" list was a contributing factor.......