I hit a new milestone this year. I officially know someone going through a mid-life crisis. In the interest of preserving their anonymity and our relationship, I will keep the details vague. But I will say it started off innocently enough with renewed interest in a childhood passion. One day everything was fine; my friend had a new hobby. The next week it seemed, she had gone AWOL. Her hobby consumed her life. Husband and children were left to fend for themselves. Long term friends were jilted in favor of her hobby. She is not having an affair; at least not of the sexual kind. But her husband and children are missing a part of her. Per the Internet version of Webster's Dictionary known as "Wikipedia", a mid-life crisis is: a "term...to describe a period of dramatic self-doubt that is felt by some individuals in the middle years of life." Self-doubt? Hell, I was an expert at that emotion. Isn't that the definition of modern motherhood? Did that mean I was halfway out the door from my family and didn't realize it? Who approves mid-life crises? Where do I submit my application and do I need a note from my mother? And more importantly, do I get to trade in my SUV for an obnoxiously bright sports car? Too bad psychologist Carl Jung defined the age range as "between 40 and 60". I've got to hang in there for a few more years until I qualify. But actually, I'd like to skip the crisis. I've worked really hard to put away the self-doubts of my 20s. And I would miss my husband and kids too much. Can I just play hooky for a day or two instead?
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