Midlife Crisis. One of mine came on as a bit of a jolt. As it turned out, the crisis became an opportunity, eventually, for a great restart.
“What’s a midlife crisis? It’s the stuff of jokes and stereotypes—the time in life when you do outrageous, impractical things like quit a job impulsively, buy a red sports car, or dump your spouse.” WebMD
I managed to do all three mentioned above, with a slight variation; I was the one dumped and propelled on an uncharted course. That’s how I got toSusanville. And after a year, some of which I described in Dim, I quit my job and head down to the Bay Area, later to many other strange places. I met incredible people, and may have even been a help to some on their journey through life. As for red sports cars, or red cars or trucks in general— within ten years I ended up with a red Honda Prelude. I bought it from a Foreign Service Officer in Kaduna, Nigeria. But that’s another story for another day.
“For years, midlife crisis conjured those images. But these days, the old midlife crisis is more likely to be called a midlife transition — and it’s not all bad.” WebMD
Right. Okay. Sure. Whether we plan it or we fall—or get pushed—into it, it’s just a transition? Sounds good. Before the transition takes place, however, there’s some pain that needs to be experienced. Else, we don’t really change, and we fall back into the same trap we were in before the Midlife Crisis. Yes. Despite the politeness of the WebMD, it’s still a crisis.
“The midlife transition can be enlightening for some but also tough, agrees Joan R. Sherman, LMFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Lancaster, Pa.” WebMD
In a course for volunteers for a crisis line program, the instructor said that the Chinese word for Crisis also meant Opportunity. From travesty to transition. A chicken punches the walls to emerge into a very strange world. But it’s that or die within the eggshell encasement. I heard that a chick must punch through the shell, that if it doesn’t, it will die anyway. Don’t know if that’s true, but it does make a good illustration of the need to battle through a transition.
The article in WebMD talks about how acceptable midlife transitions are these days. It says women often go back to school and men get in touch with their famine side. Hogwash, I say. There are stages of life, according to one person quoted in the article. And I will agree. But stages in life don’t totally result in a complete restarting of one’s life. A midlife crisis is just that, a C R I S I S. And having been through one or maybe two, don’t try to tell me the pain of the transition was simple me getting in touch with my feminine side. Harrumph!
One thing I did learn, I needed friends, good friends, for help restarting my life. A friend of mine calls it a TEAM. In Susanville, that team was assembled for me by divine appointment. It came about simply as G-D’s will for me at that time. I did not necessarily seek people out.
I lift my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1,2
There’s a silly cliche that goes something like, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then there’s the opportunity to setup a sidewalk stand and sell a good drink.
“You’re not losing your identity. You have an opportunity to create a new one.” WebMD
If you have a “transition,” make it a good one. Look beyond the hills for your help; look up.
Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .
JonahzSong 
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