h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's strange how at certain stages of the life cycle, odd changes occur. For instance, at 21, you are seen to have "come of age". What exactly does that mean? In reality, you are a third of the way in your alloted three score years and ten. At thirty, people start with grey hair jokes. At 35, the halfway mark, you find yourself hearing pop music and saying "it all sounds the same to me". You start reading your pension statements and starting conversations with "Why is it?" or "Is it just me?"

Then 40 looms, as it does for me this year. What to do? I've decided to sell my house, take the money, quit my job, go and live with my girlfriend, buy a red italian midlife crisis and generally spend my time and money growing old disgracefully.

By the time I reach the 60% mark in my life (which, incidentally is 42), I'll either be broke and unhappy or broke and happy. But what the hell? Our beloved leader sadly only made it to 49 so there's not a minute to waste.

Hi glade42

That's certainly food for thought.

Did you mean to put this in your journal? Somehow it's ended up in the FAQ about journals. <./>PostJournal</.> might be the place you were aiming at. You'll find another link to it in the journal section of your Personal Space.

Amy

I thought that there were only four stages in the life of an ape descendant namely :
1. BA-BA
2. RA-RA
3. SAGA
4. GA-GA

I'm 20 years farther down the road , and have had much the same thoughts. I did retire 5 years ago. I didn't (don't) have a girlfriend to move in with. I did, however, recently buy a(nother) little red mid-life crises

Actually there are onlytwo--childhood and adultery

I read somewhere that the human lifespan actually stretches to 140.
Most never make it because they were cut down in their prime by disease or abuse of their bodies.
Notice how the population is generally living longer and healthier, and staying more energetic and youthful.
Attitude has a lot to contribute towards this.
If 140 is the true lifespan of the human ape, then most of us haven't even reached middle age yet.
So what passes as mid-life crisis is probably a major adolescent hiccup.