Mid Life Crisis

A mid life crisis can appear in many forms. Mine arrived in the burning desire to own a trike. Yes that’s right. One of those odd, three wheel motorbike things - think Billy Connolly cruising the open roads of Britain, the wind in his beard. How cool is that?

I was lucky, a man up in the Black Isle was selling his. So I called the Black Isle man and drove up there with my family to view the beast. And what a beast it was. All black and shiny chrome with a double back seat – a family trike no less! And factory built in Germany so no worries about some enthusiastic Frankenstein welding job. I was in love and the deal was done.

So then followed two years of desperation for good weather and the utter joy of the open road until one day I came to my senses and realised that the kids had lost interest and my husband preferred running. I had to rethink.

I sold my beautiful beast to a local couple who can still be spotted together, looking so cool I could cry, enjoying the open road, helmet free. I shaved off my beard and bought a caravan. I know, I can feel your pain. Truth is, my kids love it and we do loads more things as a family.

On Tuesday 1^st November at 8pm here at the Barn, the wonderful Bruce Molsky will be sharing his mid-life crisis with an appreciative audience. Twice nominated for a Grammy Award and a Celtic Connections favourite, Bruce was a mechanical engineer from the Bronx who decided to take a year out to pursue his music interests at the age of forty. His true vocation emerged. He has since become internationally recognised as the defining virtuoso of Appalachia’s folk music tradition. Molsky sees his success stemming from this late development and says, ‘The biggest lesson from changing careers at mid-life is that you discover the strength is not in what you do; it’s in who you are.’ Engineering’s loss is most definitely music’s gain. 

Tell me your mid-life crisis…

p.s. I didn't actually have a beard but Bruce Molsky has one, so does King Creosote, though he's much younger.