Monday, August 25, 2008

Is this a mid-life crisis?

I may be having a mid-life crisis. I have a birthday tomorrow. I'll be 47. My age is definitely bothering me. I don't feel my age for the most part. (There is the grey hair and the inability to get pregnant part.) I really feel like my attitude, my health - everything - is so much younger. So - it annoys me that I am going to be 47. I had this realization the other day - I may have lived over half my life already. How weird is that to be thinking! I know that I've worked more than half my working life already. To some, this may be a good thing, and to me it is, but at times I look at it and think - wow, life is just moving along to fast, I used to be young with it all in front of me. So - is this a mid-life crisis? Well - there's more. My car lease is up in October. Time to decide what to get next. I think that this is where my real problem is. I can not decide what I want to do. Do I want to upgrade my car? Do I want to stay with the kind I have? Or, do I want to downgrade and put the savings towards something else - like a yearly vacation to Mexico? I do not know what I want to do. I am so unsettled, this is driving me nuts. I am a bit of a planner. I like to know where I am going, what happens next, etc. If I know that - I'm in my comfort zone. I am so not in my comfort zone right now, not knowing what I really want to do about my car. It doesn't help that A and I have argued a bit over how important the rear legroom is. Add to that, I probably view what kind of car I drive as too much of an expression of who I am. My car has to look good. It needs to be comfortable as well. It's like this - I test drove an Acura TL over the weekend. Fine car, rides nice - but totally bland and boring design. On the other hand, the cheaper Mercury Sable & Toyota Camry have interesting looks to me. It's not just about money, it's about the look, the drive, etc. I also have this thing about not driving my grandfather's car. I feel too young for certain cars - the more plush ones like Cadillacs or the Toyota Avalon. When I think about it though - I think my father was around my age when he got his "Baby" - the Cadillac he had longed for. So - I'm back to the question of "is this a mid-life crisis?" A thinks it may be and has told me to get the car I want - whatever that is. Part of me wants to run out and do that (likely a BMW 335xi or an Audi A4) but there's the Virgo in me that says this is a large commitment, I must make a logical decision.
So - here's my bottom line. I don't think it's a mid-life thing. I think it's that I am so out of my comfort zone, not being able to make a clear decision on the direction I want to go with my car and this is all happening right around my birthday. I identify with the car I drive too much, but I don't think I can change that. Maybe I'll get lucky in the next month and there will be a deal on a car that is just too good to pass up and it will be one of my favorite to drive, not a sensible car that my grandfather would drive.

4 comments:

Brenna said...

I say throw practicality to the wind!

Aims said...

Get the 335 and blame it on me, not a midlife crisis!

Alacrity said...

I am with Brenna!

I am so sick of driving the wagon I got with car seats in mind, so I spend a fair bit of time thinking which car I should get for MY midlife crisis...

I had an A4 once and it is a great car, but I am looking at the A3 because it looks fun and small.

and

BMW 328 or 335 xi
Infiniti G35x
Volvo S40 awd

and if you really want to fantasize, check out the Jaguar XK - I saw one in the UK this summer, and all I can say is YUMMY!

Me said...

I'm sure you've already bought something new by now but I can't help throwing in my $0.02. My husband's aunt had an Audi A4 and traded it in for an Acura TL... I myself have an Acura TL and luv it. That said, if I was 100% positive that kids were not in my future I would trade it in for a Nissan Z in a heartbeat. ;)