Kim Cattrall is about to star and executive produce an American version of the British series Sensitive Skin.  A series about a woman going through her midlife crisis.  In part of an interview Kim stated: “I feel that it’s the right territory, talking about a woman going through a midlife crisis. I think we’ve heard enough from the men about this. I think it’s much more fascinating to get inside of a woman’s head.” 

I feel the same way.  Is it because the male midlife crisis has been addressed and talked about from all perspectives, and for longer, whereas the female midlife crisis has been addressed mainly from the menopausal, hormonal perspective, therefore almost taboo, when there is so much more to her midlife crisis than that?  Or is it that at this time in our lives, we as women become more introspective, therefore obviously finding our own heads more interesting ‘to get into.’ 

Why is it that we become more introspective at midlife?  Is it that we now finally have the time to think about and explore our individuality?  While women seem to become more introspective, and focus on experiencing the here and now, men going through their midlife crisis seem to want to escape and do the things they may not be able to do when they are old, or didn’t do when they were young.  They want to jump out of planes, leave their wives, have an affair or buy a motorbike, 

The small local country pub I work in attracts tourists from all over Australia as well as mature aged motorbike riders.  They come in their droves.  Dressed in leathers, riding bikes that look as though they have just come out of a show room.  The bikes are much more groomed than they are and remind me of ponies prepared for a competition from days when my daughter was a child. 

My boss, 55 said to me the other day that he thought he was going through a midlife crisis.  When I asked him what made him think that he said, he knew it sounded daft, and really couldn’t explain it but he really wanted a motorbike!   I just hope he doesn’t show up one day with a group of mates, unshaven, in leathers, with his new showpony.

As women we have only recently started examining  midlife crisis to learn and grow from it, to see the good, the bad, the sad, the humourous,  and turn a crisis into something positive.

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