Empty Nest Adventure Club.

Empty Nest Syndrome, It affects us all differently. Some call it a midlife crisis, and they might be right? I could go out and buy a Porsche, get a girlfriend and start being a dumb ass. Throwing away 25 years with a wonderful woman who has shared with me the better part of my life, I could grow a pony tail, buy a sports car and do my best to bang girls with parental issues. The problem is that I look across the room and I am still madly in love with the girl I lusted over in 1986. While I may have a bipolar love affair with my musical choices, I can tell you I am smart enough to know that I can’t relate to young women who might think the 80’s have historical value.  

In my eyes my wife is the same girl who sat behind me in class and teased me running her fingers thru my hair. I know every line on her face was likely caused by one of my dumb ideas and the grey that peaks thru her hair was my doing as well. I know the imperfections are also my doing. This woman gave birth to both of my children, bathed them, taught them, cared for them, and dealt with those awful teenage years that made her worry, and fret. By the way I am pretty sure she worried and fret about me, not the kids

So where am I going with this as I listen to the greatest 80’s hits on Pandora?  (Just so you know video killed the radio star.) I have been struggling to find my place the last 9 months. My Daughter graduated college, and got herself hitched.  My Son graduated high school and will leave the nest for Cleveland of all places.  The worst part is I still see my friends from High school on facebook and compared to my kids this makes me question my own path.  Don’t get me wrong I am pretty happy I did not pursue that Duran Duran cover band opportunity although I might have been OK with the Ska band.  

So here it is, for the last three days I have been wondering what the hell I was thinking gathering all this shit? I was a punk rocker who hated Reagan and Tipper Gore. I became exactly what they wanted… a consumer. This evening I calculated all the biggest items I could sell today and at a price in which they would actually sell. Not including the last of my California Property I need to sell. I came up with a quick storyboard that spells out over $60,000 in assets that could be converted to cash. QUICK!

So here it is.. I am going to start selling shit. Do I need this stuff to be happy? Am I a slave to my belongings? I sit here looking over at my wife and I can’t help but wonder, if looking at her freckles and her eyes does not bring me the same joy as they did twenty five years ago without the garage full of crap? Could I give the money to my kids and change the course of my family tree? Should I just pay for a trip to Italy so my wife can see the things that excited her in a history book in the 10^th grade? 

I invite you to get on board this journey. I have no idea where it will lead, or the outcome. I do know I can’t continue down this path. At the very least you can watch me spiral out of control. Riding a rollercoaster is far more exciting than the merry go round any day. For those that know me this includes dumping all my business holdings, and investments. If it does not bare fruit it’s gone. I am still not sure how far I am going to go, but frankly my guts tell me to cut this to the bone. 

 We all have wings, but some of us don't know why?