Traditional Views of Middle Age
Sep 16th, 2009 by admin
According to the traditional view of middle age, the most important losses of this life transition are:
- Changes in body image. No explanation is needed here, as we are all well aware of them.
- Changes in sex drive. Possible diminished sex drive and sexual dysfunctions can be problematic for men. Menopause and all that comes with it can affect women’s femininity and sexuality.
- Changed view of the future. Up to middle age whatever we had not yet achieved we could push into the future, and hope we could get to it at a later time. But no longer. The future is now, and what we have not achieved by now we may never achieve.
- Conflict between fantasy and reality. Turning 40 is a time of reckoning, of turning inward and examining where we have been and where we are going. Most of us had ideas of where we would be at by age 40, and yet when we get there we seldom feel we achieved what we had set out to do for ourselves. We may be bored and disillusioned in our primary relationship; overwhelmed by work stresses, tired of trying to make ends meet, frustrated by not having any time for ourselves, anxious about what the future looks like, and so on. Maybe we have let our bodies go, as we have been too busy taking care of everything else in our lives. Maybe the ageing process and life in general have not been too kind to us and we suffer from physical and emotional conditions that affect our quality of life.
While most of the losses listed are still challenges facing us today, this reality is changing for a lot of people who are turning forty today, who want to push middle age further back, maybe to 50 or 55. They still feel strong, healthy, full of energy and by no means ready to sit back and become couch potatoes. So they resist being seen as middle-aged and are looking for group affiliations that more closely reflect who they are.
For these people a new way of looking at the future is being expressed in the increasing popularity of running a marathon.
We may know a friend who is training to run a marathon. He looks very fit. He is excited about this challenge. He is full of energy and enthusiasm. He feels good about himself and confident in his abilities to run fast. He becomes our inspiration, a challenge for us to do the same, a goal we become determined to pursue too.
