A Need for Speed

I recently told my wife during a blue funk that I felt like I was going through a mid-life crisis. I had been down about a lot of different things, and I was beginning to see visions of red sports cars dancing in my head. But alas, where the spirit is willing, the wallet is weak; the only red sports car I'll likely ever enjoy is 1/25 scale and sits on my hobby bench awaiting construction.

But it was my wife's response that struck me, and got me thinking about what was really bothering me. As I worked through those issues (and I need not burden you with them), I came to realize what the fabled fantasy car really is: it is a mirage designed to distract us from what we have achieved and gained in our lives. Often we focus on the fantasy and ignore the reality, and while some of us with the means may make the fantasy a reality, it still remains just that: a fantasy. We can drive our shiny car to our hearts content, and amass a wealth of speeding tickets in a vain attempt to feel young, but our families are the ones who suffer.

In the end, the funk ended, and I found the best way to recapture youth. I opened up to my wife, and told her anew why I had fallen in love with her in the first place. Now, after eleven years, the honeymoon is still going strong.