Crisis vs Transition

Someone told me once that the difference between a forty-something man and a forty-something woman is the way they approach middle life. Women go through middle life transitions while men through middle life crises.

I was in my mid-thirties when I was told this, so I remember laughing at the comment and not thinking too much of it. That is until now that I’ve crossed the demographic line that labels me as a middle-aged woman.

So this is the way I see it now:

Women transition into middle age by taking a good careful look at what we have and we then assess it in our own womanly way: “Is this the job I want to do until I retire?” “Is this the man I want to be with until I die?” “Is this the body I want to have?” We reflect, we analyze, we carefully take a decision and then we take action over a reasonable period of time. And this is because we are well aware way beforehand of what is coming with mid-age: our body is changing, our husband is aging and our job, family and relationships' priorities have naturally shifted since we were in our 20s or 30s.

Men, on the other hand, go into crisis mode. Let’s remember first the definition of crisis: “a critical event, usually sudden and unexpected, which if not handled in an appropriate and timely manner (or if not handled at all), may turn into a catastrophe by damaging or threatening the life, reputation or assets of a company, person, country or the environment.”

So, in a few words, men don’t see it coming until it hits them right on the nose! They sail through their 20s and 30s and all of a sudden they find themselves with a beer belly, a job where they are not where they think they should be, and a wife who is not 25 anymore and … they panic!

No need to list all the possible consequences of a man’s midlife crisis … we know the common ones such as suddenly joining a triathlon, or buying a convertible car, or over-flirting with the young blonde assistant … but what about the midlife crisis at work?

I think that greed could be a symptom of it. The level of greed that has seen the collapse of the global economy, maybe? Let's make it clear that I am NOT saying that ALL middle aged men are to be blamed for mishandling the world finances … but what if middle aged women had been in charge of the banking system during all these years, instead?

Maybe instead of a financial crisis we would be living a financial transition.

No money, no honey!

As I read that the state of California is ready to begin today layoff proceedings for 20,000 government workers, I had to take a pause to pick my jaw off the floor.

We all know that the global economy is going through one of the worst crises in decades; but when full countries (Iceland, and apparently now Ireland) and an American state the size of a small country go bankrupt or are on the verge of total financial collapse, I cannot stop wondering what is coming next.

Because this is only the beginning. In some small countries, the symptoms are just starting to be felt. Cypriots, for example, are acting as if nothing can or will ever hit them. They are actually thrilled that shopping trips to London are so cheap these days (!). But wait until the summer comes, when the hotels stay empty from British tourists, and this tourism-oriented economy will then feel the full blow of the situation.

Fortunately, my daughter is still young and with many years to go before she goes to college and then joins the workplace. I trust that the situation will be more than stable when the time comes for her to take that “What shall I study, where shall I work” decision. But, I cannot stop thinking what would I tell a teenager who is going to college this fall about his or her possible future. Yes, one of those kids born in 1991 (nineteen-ninety-one!!!!) who will be enrolling in one university or the other in a few months time, and who in four years will be ready to start a career and making a living out of it.

And what about the kids (not so kids by now) who are graduating from college this summer? Class of 2009 graduates are going to find themselves job-hunting for jobs that don’t exist anymore in industries that are about to crumple.

Forget about high grades and award-winning dissertations. I think that only those who can join their parents in business or who have a great idea and capital to start it will have a head start in this race for the survival of the fittest.

Another good reason to love being in my forties!

Celebrating Valentine's Day?

If I wrote about Friday 13 yesterday, I thought it would only be fair to write a note on February 14 and share my experiences about this so commercialized holiday. Problem is … I have NO experience whatsoever in celebrating this day!

No, really. It’s not as if I hate the idea of Valentine’s Day as one too many of my Grinch friends do. The reason for my lack of knowledge on this holiday is that the men that I have been with in the past have all been pretty useless in the romanticism department. This means that the experience of receiving flowers and sexy underwear, or being taken for a romantic dinner or get-away on February 14, is completely foreign to me.

Despite this, I really don’t think that there is anything bad about having an official day to celebrate Love… even if it is all about giving and receiving gifts.

After all, if you think about it, why do we throw birthday parties? To celebrate that we have been alive and kicking one more year -- and for the presents, right? Why do we organize a party after we get married? To celebrate that we have made official our union with the one we love --- and for the presents, right? Why do we celebrate Christmas? To remember the birth of Jesus Christ --- and for the presents, right? Why do we celebrate Mother’s Day, Teacher’s Day, Father’s Day, Women’s Day, etc.?

So, I wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day … and to my Grinch friends I ask you not to kill Cupid, please … it seems that because of the credit crunch he has been made redundant and is now jobless anyway, the poor thing!

Friday the 13th … chi chi chi ha ha ha

In case you haven’t noticed, today is Friday the 13th … believed to be the unluckiest day of all. I am not superstitious, but I know that every time a Friday falls on the 13th of the month I cannot help but remember the horror movie with the same name.

When I was a teenager back in the 80s I was really into horror films. I am sure I was not alone, I mean, it was the time when some classics of terrible film making were made. And for some strange reason I remember watching many of them at the school’s Physics lab during free periods. I wonder how we used to get away with that one!

Remember “Halloween” or “Poltergeist” or “Nightmare on Elm Street”? I don’t, but I will never forget Jason from "Friday The 13th" and the ending of the movie, which scared the life out of me when I first saw it.

I just found it again and it actually made me laugh - it is pretty pathetic!

Just take a look … and no nightmares please.

No me moleste mosquito!

Bill Gates decided to bring the world’s attention to the problem of malaria in developing countries by pulling out a stunt this week during a tech conference.

"Malaria is spread by mosquitoes”, he reportedly said, “I brought some here. There is no reason only poor people should be infected." And with that he opened a jar full of the bugs, allowing them to fly out into the audience.

While he was quick to inform the shocked crowd that his mosquitoes were malaria-free, his mission was certainly accomplished: the malaria issue made the headlines, at least for the day.

I can think of quite a few other bugs that Bill Gates’ company, Microsoft, has released in the past few years. I am reminded of them every time my laptop freezes and I have to re-boot.

And now I cannot stop wondering if all Windows' bugs are also part of some kind of stunt.