Tag Archives: midlife

Old Dog – Reeeeally New Tricks!

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You know how I keep telling you all that you need to be brave and experiment with new things once you are retired?  You know how learning new skills is supposed to keep your brain young?

Well I’d like to introduce you to

Nelson

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I’ll wait patiently for any of you car people to figure out why his name is “Nelson.”  OK, here’s a hint:  He’s a 1946 Jeep Willys.  (I was gonna name him “Wonka,”  but my friends convinced me that “Willys Wonka” sounded a bit naughty.)

Jeremy bought him…he says it’s for me, for my upcoming 60th birthday.  I told him, “Fine, I can work with that, but it better not be my ONLY 60th birthday present!”  Secretly, I Love, Love, Love Nelson!  He’s the original four-wheeler. His top speed is about 40 mph, and he could probably climb a wall!  I have visions of us on our mountain explorations, saying,

“I Wonder Where That Goes?!”

Talk about MAKING PLANS!  And here’s where the “new tricks” part comes in.  Jeremy says he’s had lunch boxes bigger than Nelson’s engine.  He’s pretty simple, and built to last.  With that in mind, I innocently asked him,  “Do you think maybe I might be able to do some work on him?”

We had discussed in the past how Jeremy had learned his automotive/mechanical skills by hanging on the shirt tails of his dad, who showed him the ins and outs.  And so it has begun…

So far, I’ve put in a new fuel pump, cleaned Nelson’s fuel filter, given him a new battery hold-down, put on a new rear-view mirror and new tail-gate chains.  Mostly all by myself!  (With my dear hubs right there every step of the way, showing me what to do and checking my work.)

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That’s my handy-work!  I’m pretty proud of myself!  Dirty fingernails, greasy fingers, smelled like gas – but I did it (mostly) all by myself!  And now I can see the attraction!  And I find myself wanting to fix and change out all kinds of things.  So time will tell if he’s created a monster!  I’ll keep you posted on how Nelson is coming along as we get nearer to my real 60th birthday!  In the meantime, he’s a blast to drive!  If you see me, wave!

Lynn

Beyond the Midlife Crisis

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Not too many years ago, hubs told me he wanted to purchase a Corvette.  Of course, the first thought that blasted into my head was

Oh good Lord, he’s having a Midlife Crisis!

I feared that the next thing you knew, he would be running around with the top two buttons of his shirt undone, and would be wearing gold chains.  Yikes!  I didn’t think I’d be able to stand it.  Furthermore, we joined the local Corvette Club, and I was just certain that I was going to be surrounded by them – middle aged men, all going through a special sort of Midlife Hell – all hairy and trying to act waaayyyyy too young for their ages.

But you know what?  Nothing could have been further from the truth.  As it turns out, the members of the club were all just working folks like us, who had dreamed of owning a Corvette in their younger years, and now, finally, were in a position to purchase one.  And they were still just working stiffs, making payments on their dream cars while polishing the paint off.  Some of the nicest, most humble people you’d ever hope to meet, just enjoying driving and being together.

I am reminded of this because Jeremy had a beautiful diamond ring made for our 35th wedding anniversary this month.  It’s quite a blingy thing, one any woman would be proud to wear.  Back in the day, I can remember being envious of women who, at the time, appeared to be dripping in diamonds.

Don’t get me wrong – I love my new ring and all that it stands for.  It touches my heart that it is custom made to represent our 3+ decades together.  But I don’t give a S*#T who sees it, really.  I have absolutely no need to impress anyone with bigger, better, more expensive “stuff!”

These days, we’re finding that we’ve moved beyond the Midlife Crisis.  When we were younger, I think we were intent on climbing – on impressing others with our home, our accomplishments, our possessions.  Now, we’ve reached an age where we’ve reevaluated, and all of that posturing just doesn’t matter anymore.  Finally, we understand what is
TRULY IMPORTANT!

The crisis, if there was one, is OVER!

Once again, I keep having those “if only we’d known then what we know now” moments.  I hope we weren’t total jerks in our younger years – I don’t think we were, but ya never know!  So how about it.  Has anyone else successfully navigated the coming and going of the Midlife Crisis?  I’d love it if you’d tell me your story!

Lynn