Mid-life Crisis?

Whenever I'm in mid-life crisis mode, I listen to Bruce Springsteen's, "Girls in Their Summer Clothes." Not that I was ever a lady-killer, but the line, "And the girls in their summer clothes pass me by," sure hits home for this 45-year-old.

I don't know if I'll ever feel any older than 28 mentally, which I guess is good. But I always look older than I think I do whenever I see a photo. Still, I think I'm doing OK in that regard.

Terms of Endearment is on television right now. It was released in 1983, and ran while I was an usher at Har Mar Cinemas 11 in Roseville. It was interesting to see all of the teary-eyed patrons exiting the theatre and staring into the midday winter sun after a matinee showing. Out of curiosity, I went to IMDB to check the age of Jack Nicholson, who won an Oscar for his role in the film, a role, interestingly, which Burt Reynolds turned down. Oops.

Anyway, IMDB shows Nicholson was born April 22, 1937. That would make him 45 while filming the movie. Even though he looks much younger than today, he still looks a lot older than I feel, and older than I think I look when I check the mirror. No doubt I'm kidding myself, but hey, whatever works.

I read an interesting article today from this week's City Pages about the Acme Comedy Company's 20 years in the business. I found interesting one bit about how there was a time when much of the fresh new talent in local stand-up was guys having a mid-life crisis deciding they were going to chase a dream.

Yep, that sounds like me. Whether as a joke teller (I have a friend who would write them...even being a bit delusional, I know my limitations), getting back into radio announcing someday, or what have you, I know I'll be trying something fairly soon that I don't want to grow old not having tried.

Mid-life crisis? Perhaps, but I'd rather that than an end-of-life crisis.