I'm pretty sure that some will chalk up my desire to walk the Camino de Santiago as an example of a mid-life crisis. After all, I am mid-life (actually older than mid-life, since I'm 49 now and actuarial tables say that I probably won't make it to 98), and you could say that I'm in a "crisis." But before you jump to conclusions, let's examine how the word "crisis" is defined, as there are many interpretations for the word. The word "crisis" is from the Greek word κρινειν (krinein) which means "to separate, decide, judge." Merriam-Webster defines it as "an emotionally significant event or radical change of status in a person's life." Dictionary.com calls it "a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, esp. for better or for worse, is determined; turning point." So I think that crisis is an excellent word in this case.
We don't want a crisis in our loved ones' lives, and goodness knows we will do anything to avoid a crisis in our own. The word "crisis" seems to mean an embarrassing situation for which we didn't adequately prepare or didn't have the moral backbone to withstand. Hardly! It's a time to critically look at our lives, where they came from, and where they're going. While no one likes to feel unsettled, shouldn't we welcome a crisis? Because if we handle the events well, our lives will be better than they are now. For example, if there's a bully at school, he's not going way. The one being bullied has to stand up to him for the situation to get better.
Often times we don't want people to change. Let's face it, we don't want to change! We have gotten to where we are in our lives by doing what we do, complete with our habits and routines. We prefer the status quo. So when someone in our life decides to change, or when events in our own life force change, we are unnerved. Change means doing something different; it means taking a leap of faith. That is often not a comfortable prospect.
When we have a crisis we don't want anyone to know about it. We fear that everyone will think that we're not as solid as we pretend to be. Truth be told, we sometimes don't mind a crisis in the life of someone else, as that will distract others from looking at our own foibles.
So we try to defuse the crisis, do damage control, and then stuff it in the closet, where the rest of our crises lie. As long as we can shut the door of the closet, we relax, thinking we have successfully managed the situation. But those crises could have provided the impetus to more healthy lifestyles, to new and interesting paths in our lives, and better put our God-given talents and abilities at the service of others.
Probably no one goes out looking for a crisis, but we must always remember that if we deal with a crisis well it can mean a newness and freshness of life that can restore our hope and joy. A crisis puts us at a crossroad -- when we have dealt with it we can better follow the right path for our ourselves.
Dealing with a crisis means using the wisdom that God has given, to see from where we've come and where we're going. To see what we've done well and to rejoice; to see what we've done poorly and to make improvements. It means discerning where we can really leave our mark, and how we can best use the time that we have remaining. It means avoiding the brambles that have ensnared us and following the path to which we've been called.
Don't fear your crises: they are God's wake-up calls to fuller service.
So thank God for this time in my life; also, be thankful that I'm going on the Camino de Santiago and not buying a sports car for this "mid-life crisis!"
-Joseph
P.S.: Let's check our closets today; they may need to be cleaned out!
