A Mother's Musings and Mumblings

I think I’ve discovered the female version of the “midlife crisis.” Men, so the stereotype goes, have a midlife crisis and chase after younger women and faster cars in an effort to relive their youth. I’m beginning to question that. If it were a matter of reliving one’s youth, why wouldn’t women be equally afflicted?

I think it’s something a bit different. Maybe it’s not reliving but a grieving for the road not taken. I understand that, but still question why women wouldn’t have similar reactions to similar feelings. And while I’m sure there are women out there who do, my circle of friends and I are having a different sort of midlife crisis.

Career women all, we’re getting to that age and beginning to question what we want to do when we grow up. Not because we don’t love our jobs – we uniformly do – but because we’ve all learned that our jobs don’t love us. We’ve slaved and sacrificed only to discover that we can go no further – in many cases because we lack penises. We’re underpaid, overworked, and unappreciated. And across the board we’re toying with ideas as drastic as catering, writing and coffee shops as good uses of our advanced degrees.

I think this is the female version of the midlife crisis. Men feel unappreciated at home and seek the attention of younger women to give their egos a much needed boost. Women feel unappreciated at work and find themselves floundering to figure out what comes next.  If anyone figures it out – let me know.