Mid Life Crisis?

[WebSlave]

OK, what exactly IS a "mid life crisis"? I'm now 55 years old and since I seriously doubt I will live to be 110 years old, did I miss it while I was taking a nap one day?

A friend of mine is selling his Corvette and I have to admit it sparked an interest in me. Unfortunately it is WAY more then I can spend on what is nothing more then an indulgence in my younger high performance automobile days. Plus it is impractical as all hell. I can remember my hotrod days when the Chevy Corvette was about the epitome of what all us kids dreamed about having, while making do with the hand-me-down cars that we could really afford. What the heck do I want with a car that in order to bring home a bag of groceries I would have to leave the passenger at the grocery store?

Is that a sign that I might actually live to be 110 years old and this is the onset of the "mid life crisis"? Or is it just that I am getting older and I really can't recognize the really dumb stuff that goes through my mind at times?

Or maybe I am just getting older, and know it, and my subconscious is telling me to do the things I've always wanted to do before it is just too darn late to do so..........

[tarantulakeeper]

OK, what exactly IS a "mid life crisis"? I'm now 55 years old and since I seriously doubt I will live to be 110 years old, did I miss it while I was taking a nap one day?

.........

Nah, I think its just something Hollywood and the media has created to explain why someone in their 50s might get divorced or buy that corvette. If it is a 'crisis', I'm watching out for mine. I will admit I look longingly at the newest Harley idling next to me in traffic. That is until I research each time how much the damn things are and how dangerous they can be. (especially when drivers in Phoenix never look for motocycles) Besides, I'd like to have grandkids someday so I can hand him/her back to my kid after a visit.
Could be few out there that are realizing their mortality and want the toys we couldn't afford in our twenties. That BMW z3 or 4 or 5 whatever looks pretty good too. Guess I'll limit my impulses to tarantulas and boas.
John

[South Dixie Dragons]

I can remember my hotrod days when the Chevy Corvette was about the epitome of what all us kids dreamed about havingI used to think the same thing...so I bought one..:slamit: Sold it a month later. Boy are they uncomfortable!! Very over rated car. (Hope this helps!!)
could be worse, you could be about to hit your sexual prime like me (40 for women or so they say) and not a man in sight.:bawling:

Michele Misurelli

[Lucille]

[QUOTE=WebSlave]OK, what exactly IS a "mid life crisis"?

QUOTE]


I think it means different things to different people; the age of 50 is for many modern people a time to stop and take stock of their lives, and to choose new directions.

For those who have children, this is a time when the children leave home and parents have more free time than they have had in decades. For women it is a time of menopause, bringing those changes and freedoms as well.

I am approximately the same age as you, and instead of a Corvette I went back to school, that was my big change.

There are some directions people take at this time which are not appropriate, but buying an item like a Corvette, or going to school, or changing careers, those are all ways to improve your life in a way that matters to you.

You only pass through life once. Although all of us have to make choices and give up some of what we want to do for legal, religious, or practical reasons; but excluding those reasons if you have the chance to do something you really want, that matters to you, I say go for it.

There is nothing quite as sad as an old person who thinks back with longing at what 'might have been', when with determination and effort they could have reached their goal and had a happier life.

You may find after a time that the goal you chose was not what you thought, but it is far better to achieve and make that judgment then to always wonder what might have been.

[kiote9]

I think it is just a label given to another change people make in their lives....not that we NEED labels.

You do one thing for so long and it gets old. Time to make a change. When you are 10 years old and no longer want what you had when you were 8 they call it growing up. When you are 15 and you have a complete character change they call it hormones (or drugs), when you are 25 they call it maturing, when you're 35 they call it reliving your youth, and when you're 40+ they call it a midlife crisis.

People change. Not the basic personality, but wants, needs, beliefs, points of view...that changes. If someone wants to label it, let them. It means nothing. We are who we are.

(Then when we get to be 70+ we can judge everyone else who is going through what we have already been through because we are going to kick it soon anyway! What do you call that attitude? Pre-postlife crisis? LOL)

[kiote9]

this bit of info.

When I was 16 I raced my old beat up car, stayed up all night flirting with guys, talking, listening to music, watching TV, hanging out, whatever tripped my trigger.

When I was 26 I worked, took care of my family, raced my convertible, stayed up all night flirting with guys, talking, listening to music, watching TV, hanging out, whatever tripped my trigger.

When I was 36 I took care of my family, worked, took care of my pets, raced my pick-up truck, stayed up all night flirting with guys, talking, listening to music, watching TV, hanging out, whatever tripped my trigger.

Now I am almost 40. I take care of my family, work, take care of my (ever-changing collection of) reptiles, run around the countryside, race my Mustang, stay up all night flirting with guys, talking, listening to music, watching TV/movies, hanging out, whatever trips my trigger.

I have far more responsibility than I used to, more pressure. I think if I want to cut loose and do STUPID things I should be applauded for not getting killed, not lectured for being an idiot. I am basically the same person I have always been and work very hard to get what I want, to keep what I have, and to raise my family. If someone wants to tell me it's just a phase and I'll get over it they can take a flying leap at the moon....and miss.

[WebSlave]

Yeah, I don't know what to think about it. It's more complicated then it probably seems at casual glance. This friend of mine with the vette had his wife die from cancer last Christmas. Connie and I were there when the ambulance took her to the hospital, as she was pretty much out of it completely. After she died, my friend kind of lost it as well, and from what I understand bought this vette when he took his wife's car to a dealer to sell it so he wouldn't have to look at it every day to remind him of her. A fast talking salesman nabbed him and he drove home the vette. He has had knee surgery recently and been out of work for months. He sold some property, which has helped tide him over, but I think the well is running dry on him. I certainly don't have that kind of money to spend, so I can't figure out why I am even contemplating such a thing. I guess I could if I HAD to, but this certainly isn't a HAD TO situation at all.

So am I just trying to justify this to help out a friend, or is it the mid life crisis thing talking? I had no real interest in getting one until this all came up. So what has that seed sprouted into? I have learned that my mind can make some surprising turns sometimes.

[South Dixie Dragons]

Shelly,
It is a good thing that you and I do not live in the same state...:dgrin: girlfriend you and I could so some serious damage hanging out together!!:uzi:

WebSlave,

I am sorry to hear about your loss. That is the sort of thing that can send your mind wondering and evaluating your own life which can send you ito a crisis. Especially a spouse, I lost my husband due to a divorce 5 years ago and I am still not over it. A loss is a loss and obviously this one had a huge effect on you. People (myself included) have a way of trying to heal or make themselves feel better by treating themselves to whatever...cars, clothes, jewelry, etc.
It doesn't always do the trick, in fact most of the time you feel worse because you spent the money! :bandhead0 :bandhead0
But sometimes you just have to say "What the Hell!" Maybe this is some kind of omen telling you that you should buy the car?? Vettes hold their value so you could always turn around and sell it if you decided it wasn't for you.

Are you married? what does the wife/girlfriend think??

[ms_terese]

I think in many people's lives, there comes a day when there is realization that many things they've wanted to experience have been put off to "some day", and that day may not come. I know that for me, once I had my kids semi-raised (meaning, they're out of the house, but still young enough to truly get into trouble), I realized that for 25 years I'd put things off in order to concentrate on raising my children. I made a list and started checking things off of it. Not so much things I wanted to have as things I wanted to do: take a gourmet cooking class, travel a bit more, plant a big garden, etc. etc. It wasn't nearly monumental enough to be identified as a "crisis", so maybe I had a "mid-life opportunity".

[WebSlave]

I think that perhaps when you reach the age where it seems more and more people you know are dying around you, it finally sinks in that YOUR number is in that hat as well somewhere. And there is no telling when it will get picked. Maybe it is the realization of the sands running out of the glass that you begin to take stock in what is left undone that you now know you have very limited time to accomplish. You are not immortal. You will die. What do you WANT to do before that happens? What things that are optional in your life are you willing to give up in order to do that?

[RedQuake]

I think that perhaps when you reach the age where it seems more and more people you know are dying around you, it finally sinks in that YOUR number is in that hat as well somewhere. And there is no telling when it will get picked. Maybe it is the realization of the sands running out of the glass that you begin to take stock in what is left undone that you now know you have very limited time to accomplish. You are not immortal. You will die. What do you WANT to do before that happens? What things that are optional in your life are you willing to give up in order to do that?

Webslave,you hit the nail on the head. Life is so short and many of us do end up looking back wondering why we didn't do the things we wanted to do. Work, family, obligations......all take a bite out of the opportunities we all can have. Not saying any of those things are bad. I know a workaholic whose happy working, i know pple who wouldnt' give up their family for anything. My father has been having a midlife crisis for a while now. How we react to this time in our lives differs greatly i'm sure. For some pple its buying a new car, in my fathers case, since he doesn't have the money to go out and buy anything or do much, he's just plain grumpy. Actually he's gotten alot worse since his mother passed away. He knows his time is coming and i think it scares him. He's talked alot lately about when he was younger, what things he wanted to do. I wish i could help make those things a reality for him. I, at 28 have already been looking back wondering why i didn't do some things i really wanted to do. So i decided to make up for it a bit, signed up for a nite class, and saving for a trip i want to take. Might as well do as much as i can while i can. Hopefully it'll make my midlife crisis less intence :)

[WebSlave]

Well, I just don't know about this mid life crisis thing. Maybe it is my second childhood instead. I need a fast car like I need a hole in my head. After looking at the prices of Corvettes, it is a very odd situation. Prices are VERY high for the later models, then they drop down to a somewhat reasonable level if you are looking in the 10 to 30 year range for the age of one. When you get into the '60s models, prices then skyrocket to MORE then what brand new ones will cost.

Can't afford a new one, can't afford a restored one, and don't WANT a "handy man special" that is 25 years old...... :slamit:

I think all things considered (like my pocketbook!), what I am going to have to do is to enlist the aid of a good welder, buy the front end from a Corvair, the back end from a Chevette, and have the welder put them together to make my custom "Cor-Vette". Guess I had better start scrounging around the junk yards for the parts.......... Sometimes I just hate reality..... :>poke2<:

[kiote9]

I don't know...the Corvette is a nice fast car, but you can do better.

My little Mustang outperforms most of whats on the road now, and gets me tons of attention. Now if I could just come up with the time to hang out at the high school to meet 18 year old boys....

My Stang is a girl car. For a few thousand more you can get the GT and have a man car that really kicks ass. Sell something...a kidney, anything...buy the car you want. You'll find out in the long run it's the insurance that costs too much!

[kiote9]

OK, I just read what I posted this morning--SHORTLY AFTER I WOKE UP--and realized just how "off" I was.

Still on an adrenaline high from racing some college boys on my way home from work...LOL

Buy the car Rich. It might take you to hell, but you'll enjoy the ride there.

[Wilomn]

OK, I just read what I posted this morning--SHORTLY AFTER I WOKE UP--and realized just how "off" I was.

Still on an adrenaline high from racing some college boys on my way home from work...LOL

Buy the car Rich. It might take you to hell, but you'll enjoy the ride there.


Silly Shelly, the proper quote is " I may be going to hell in a bucket (corvette), but at least I'll enjoy the ride."

I don't know if I've mentioned it in this thread or not but this is my take on this subject.

If you don't do it now, you may never get another chance.

If you do do it now, you may regret it but at least you'll the experiance to look back on.

There is but ONE guarentee that we get on this particular spin of the wheel. It's a simple one. One of these days, perhaps without warning, the rides ends.

That's it. Over. Fini. End.

Do what makes you happy for today, for right now, for this instant. If you're not happy tomorrow or the next day, do something else; ie- sell the car to someone else.

If you think you might regret it if you don't, whatever it is and so long as it harms no one else, then you have to decide which you would rather live with. You either get the knowledge and/or joy of doing something, taking a chance, just plain squandering for happiness or you get to wonder what it would have been like, what may have happened, what might have been.

I HATE what might have been.

I don't own a fast car, don't really care about fast cars. If my time is up today though, regrets are not what would be forefront in my thoughts.

The thing is, it's OK to be happy. It's ok to be frivolous. It's ok to do something that others may not understand.

Be happy if you can.

[kiote9]

If you don't do it now, you may never get another chance.

If you do do it now, you may regret it but at least you'll the experiance to look back on.

There is but ONE guarentee that we get on this particular spin of the wheel. It's a simple one. One of these days, perhaps without warning, the rides ends.

That's it. Over. Fini. End.

Do what makes you happy for today, for right now, for this instant. If you're not happy tomorrow or the next day, do something else; ie- sell the car to someone else.

If you think you might regret it if you don't, whatever it is and so long as it harms no one else, then you have to decide which you would rather live with. You either get the knowledge and/or joy of doing something, taking a chance, just plain squandering for happiness or you get to wonder what it would have been like, what may have happened, what might have been.

I HATE what might have been.

The thing is, it's OK to be happy. It's ok to be frivolous. It's ok to do something that others may not understand.

Be happy if you can.

So why are you not here?

[Wilomn]

Responsibilities to my children.

No other reason.

Choices.

Wating is.

[kiote9]

Till waiting is full, Wes.

[PaulSage]

Well, I just don't know about this mid life crisis thing. Maybe it is my second childhood instead. I need a fast car like I need a hole in my head. After looking at the prices of Corvettes, it is a very odd situation. Prices are VERY high for the later models, then they drop down to a somewhat reasonable level if you are looking in the 10 to 30 year range for the age of one. When you get into the '60s models, prices then skyrocket to MORE then what brand new ones will cost.

Can't afford a new one, can't afford a restored one, and don't WANT a "handy man special" that is 25 years old...... :slamit:

I think all things considered (like my pocketbook!), what I am going to have to do is to enlist the aid of a good welder, buy the front end from a Corvair, the back end from a Chevette, and have the welder put them together to make my custom "Cor-Vette". Guess I had better start scrounging around the junk yards for the parts.......... Sometimes I just hate reality..... :>poke2<:

Technology sucks, so get an old one--they're easier to work on. (In my experience, anyway.) Besides, that welding thing would be all fine and good, but the "REAL" corvettes from the 60's were fiberglass (you probably knew that though...).

My dad had two vettes, a '65 with a 4spd and a 350, and a '67 with a 2sp behind a 427. He'd had them since long before I came into the picture. Neither one needed much work, just some minor exhaust, electrical, and carb work. RARELY did he ever drive either of them. Once, when I turned 16, he got the '65 out for the first time in YEARS to teach me how to drive stick. That was one of the fondest memories I had of spending time with him. I mean, how many 16-year-olds get to learn to drive stick in their pop's precious corvette?

Anyway, early onset alzheimer's deprived him of the interest and energy to enjoy them the way he should have. At the age of 49 he up and died of a heart attack. Just like that. Never saw it coming.

What's my point? It's not just the material things we've always wanted that help us make the best of life while we've got it. You've also got to make time to enjoy those precious toys, because you may not know when your time is up.

So Rich, if you want a corvette to enjoy life and have some fun, I suggest you get one. You seem like a pretty conservative guy, and I don't think you would have brought it up unless you were really seriously thinking about it. It might cost a lot of money, but if you got hit by a UPS truck (sorry for the graphic nature) one year from today, which would you have had more fun with, a corvette? or a bank statement? ...

(ps... those two corvettes are still in my mom's shed, because I couldn't let "just anyone" drive them away unless I knew they would appreciate them more than they have been...) I hope that's not 3rd party advertising or whatever it's called....

[Wilomn]

Hint Hint Rich

[WebSlave]

If that is a hint, I do thank you, Paul. But honestly a 40 year old car is not for me at this stage of my life. I am beyond the point where I want to do any restoration on a vehicle. I still have nightmares of rebuilding engines to find that the parts supply house sent me the wrong sized bearings, or trying to get at bolts loose on a set of headers, that a spider monkey would have trouble handling. That sort of stuff would be the death of me now, for certain.

Furthermore, I don't know what sort of financial situation your mom is in, but I would urge you to consider selling those old vettes for her. Those old restored vettes are selling for MORE then the brand new ones are going for. The money could possibly come in handy for her.

Thanks.

[PaulSage]

If that is a hint, I do thank you, Paul. But honestly a 40 year old car is not for me at this stage of my life. I am beyond the point where I want to do any restoration on a vehicle. I still have nightmares of rebuilding engines to find that the parts supply house sent me the wrong sized bearings, or trying to get at bolts loose on a set of headers, that a spider monkey would have trouble handling. That sort of stuff would be the death of me now, for certain.
No worries, I totally understand. I've been rebuilding an Olds for over 5 years now. Right now the engine's in the barn, the interior is in mom's basement, the body is at a friend's place, and the rest of it is sorta M.I.A. after a tornado ripped the roof off the old shed it was kept in a few years ago! :rofl:

Furthermore, I don't know what sort of financial situation your mom is in, but I would urge you to consider selling those old vettes for her. Those old restored vettes are selling for MORE then the brand new ones are going for. The money could possibly come in handy for her.
Thanks.
Hm.. that's interesting. I haven't looked at the market at ALL for quite a few years. When they were appraised 4-5 years ago the two of them together didn't even equal a new base model... and there's not that much wrong with them (for being 40 years old.) I should have her get them appraised again, she was just complaining about them being in the way still. (that's sorta my fault I guess.)

[WebSlave]

Well, as you may well imagine, I've been looking hard at prices of these critters trying to figure out if this wild hare idea is even feasible or not. So I have been running across all types of websites. Take a look at this one, for instance:

http://www.mershons.com/63-67.asp

As for what I am going to do, heck I don't know. On the trip up to the Mid Atlantic Show this past weekend, the wife and I stopped in at a Crackerbarrel restaurant for breakfast. Afterwards we were walking around in the shopping area of the restaurant, and I was bored to death of all the junk there. But my eyes came to rest on a T-shirt that had Corvettes plastered all over the front of it! And they even had my size there. If that isn't an omen, I really don't know what is. Then to add even more fuel to the fire, my wife comes into the den tonight with a grin on her face to tell me she found an ad in the local newspaper saying that one of the local Chevrolet dealers here is having a special Corvette Show and inviting all Corvette owners to show up and take part in the festivities. Guess where I am going to be on THAT day! Yep. Drooling over the machinery.

I don't know. One more omen and I think my fate will be sealed. Damn, I really hate the thought of having a car payment to make every month again. Been a long time since I needed to do that....... :>poke2<:

[Wilomn]

Quitcherbitchin Old Man.

Go do something fun.

If you don't know you're going to yet then you're the only one who doesn't.

[WebSlave]

Quitcherbitchin Old Man.

Go do something fun.

If you don't know you're going to yet then you're the only one who doesn't.


Do you mean that trying to apply a logical and rational thought process to an emotional decision doesn't work? :rolleyes:

[Wilomn]

Quit trying to think like a chick and decide what color you want.

[Jim O]

Do you mean that trying to apply a logical and rational thought process to an emotional decision doesn't work? :rolleyes:
Get the car already Rich. Have some fun with it and SELL it if you get tired of it. :>poke2<:

[WebSlave]

Damn! I guess I am just too methodical for my own good. I want to research things first. Which year and model is "best" to have? Any known "drop dead" problems or recalls? Nothing is perfect, so what are some of the flaws that other people have noted on their Corvettes? Yes, I am spending some time on a Corvette forum lurking.....

And heck, I have never even driven one before, so perhaps I should do that before I just go and buy one online. The car an I just may not mesh well. Maybe it is too low and getting in and out will be a problem for this old man. My present vehicle is a Jeep Wrangler and the one before that was a full sized Ford Bronco. I had to climb DOWN from them when I got out.

Yup, I am going to make sure that I don't have any solid reasons NOT to give in to my subconscious yearning. Not very spontaneous, I know, but that is one of my character flaws.

[Wilomn]

Dude, you think toooooooooooooooo much.

Sometimes just because it feels good is reason enough.

You can always change your mind.

Provided you make a decision to begin with.

It ain't forever, Old Man. LOL

[WebSlave]

Sorry, but I guess I just think differently. I like to think through what I am going to do. I like to research my options. If I decide to get a Corvette, I want it to be the best one I can afford. Which means that even after the decision is made, I may have to wait for the right one to come along.

Wes, you are talking to a guy who starts corn snake genetics projects where I don't expect to see the hoped for final results for maybe 12 years. So I have developed a pretty healthy dose of patience over the years. :)

[Wilomn]

I do understand patience.

I am 5 to 9 generations into several of my projects and I am STILL waiting for Ms. Right.

Then again, I've opened doors just to see what was on the other side.

THAT can be surprising.

[tarantulakeeper]

And heck, I have never even driven one before, so perhaps I should do that before I just go and buy one online. The car an I just may not mesh well. Maybe it is too low and getting in and out will be a problem for this old man. My present vehicle is a Jeep Wrangler and the one before that was a full sized Ford Bronco. I had to climb DOWN from them when I got out.


If I was going to drop a chunk of change on a vette, I'd at least drive one for a few hours to see how my back reacts. It's a 53 year-old back and has been sitting in an F250 now for about 10 years. Here in Phoenix there are a couple of places where one can rent a vette and I'll bet there's a place you could too. Be a hell of a note to find out the low seat and leg angle gives you back problems.
I envy you though. When I was in the Navy in 1970 a friend bought a 1967 split window vette. We made fun of him then, but I wish I had that car now. John

[tarantulakeeper]

are you still researching? I know lately I've been surrounded by Harleys as I drive around town. Going into a showroom? Be afraid, be very afraid. John

[WebSlave]

are you still researching? I know lately I've been surrounded by Harleys as I drive around town. Going into a showroom? Be afraid, be very afraid. John


Actually I bit the bullet a few weeks ago. Got a real good deal on a 2002 Z06. But there were issues, however, that I needed to straighten out. Someone along the line had swapped out the standard wheels and tires for the Z06 for some balding tires and smaller wheels that come standard on the regular C5 model. Of course, I didn't know about that when I bought it, and certainly the seller wasn't going to tell me. So that was an added expense I wasn't planning on right off the bat. And yeah there are some scratches that I need to try to buff out. One on the passenger side quarter panel is beyond buffing, however, so I will just have to live with that. Penalty of buying a used vehicle I guess. Or I guess I could have waited longer to find another one. But I really wanted a vette that had never been on salt drenched roads up north. So I limited my search to south of me.

Anyway, here's a pic of it with the new wheels and tires:

http://www.serpenco.com/pics/z06_002.jpg

Rated at 405 horsepower, but this one has had some modifications, which will put it over that, for sure. 6 speed tranny, and reasonable comfort options for a car that was designed to be a race car. Now get this.... this thing averages 31 mpg on the highway! I had read about that on some of the corvette forums, and see it with my own two eyes. Unreal......

So anyway, not sure if this is a symptom of mid life crisis or second childhood. I use to be really into high performance cars back in the early 70s but it's been a long time since that sort of thing interested me.

Perhaps I need to set up some sort of lottery for people to bet on what date I will get my first speeding ticket.......... :rofl: I could use the proceeds to pay the fine then.....

[Chris@TSE]

not too shabby

[Lucille]

Wow, that's gorgeous!