Photoessay #1173 - Mid-life trauma

I'm musing about mid-life tramuas. Things that happen that have lasting effects for us. That color our reactions, change our perspectives.

First, let me say that I'm extremely fortunate in my life. Truly blessed, no question, nothing to complain about.

Here are a couple examples that come to mind

a. Hanukah Eve windstorm in 2006

A huge windstorm hit the Puget Sound area in December 2006. Check out the weather thingie above. A million people lost power. Including us for almost six days! I had lots of people here including Susanna's friend Amy. I'm always stressing about losing power. I joke that one thing that you no longer have to worry about when you lose power is losing your power. It's already gone! Luckily it was cold, but not THAT cold (though my toothpaste did freeze in the tube). And you could get around so there wasn't isolation and hunger. But that's a long time to not have power. So frustrating and inconvenient. We don't have a wood stove and out fireplace doesn't work well. Now I have a gas stove that improves things.

Power restoration was piecemeal, kind of block by block and it seemed like our little tree falling on power line problem was the last to be be repaired. My neighbor joked that you could tell if somebody was still without power because they answered the phone like this "What???!!!???!!!"

But now, when the wind whips or the lights flicker, I (and many others) kind of go into a panic. Oh NO, not again! We go into some kind of bad stress status. It's like we are right back in 2006 in a cold dark house.

There were a lot of anti-war protesting going on at our local highway corner. Ilana wanted to go down there with a sign declaring "Power to the people!"


2. Financial collapse of 2008 - I'm sure everybody remember that dark period. When nothing made sense and all of our assets were in free-fall. And you realized that nothing was safe and stuffing your pennies under the mattress seemed like a great idea. All that your father taught you about safely investing your money turned upside down. Stocks were not safe, mutual funds were not safe, real estate, bonds, nothing. You wondered why you ever believed any of that stuff. Plus I had just invested a chunk of real money from an instrument from my father. Yikes.

I remember buying some CDs at 2 percent interest (they're even lower now, I think) and commening that would be a POSITIVE 2% which was very significant

So now, me (and lots of other peoples) distrust the financial markets especially in preparing for the future. Maybe we've returned kicking and screaming. Whenever anything goes up in value, I shriek "Sell! Sell!" Look, the professionals say, that's a solid holding and the dividends are strong. I look at them wild-eyed and terrified "Take the money! Quick!" Often they don't listen to me which is probably good.

3. Job loss - 2010

What happens when you aren't working any more. Besides the 'no money coming in' thing. How do you look at yourself? How much risk, sacrifice, inconvenience and humiliation are you willing to spend to get back in. And what was it that you were actually doing? Did you ever have a career, anyway? What if you don't go back? Are there more important things to be doing?

Mid Life Trauma......