The story so far

So where do I begin? I don't want to spend too much time discussing my current career. Suffice it to say that I've been drifting for years, and rarely has my work meant anything more to me than a paycheck. I've stayed with it out of inertia, fear, and a lack of positive direction: I never really could articulate what I really wanted to do, so I never was able to make a positive move.

About a year ago, however, I had a revelation. I was on my way home from a therapy session -- I've been in therapy off and on for years, but that's a story for a different time -- and I suddenly realized that "therapist" was a job description that sounded right to me. I could do it, I'd be good at it, and (most of all) it sounded right: challenging, fulfilling, and useful.

Over the next few days, I discussed it with family and friends, trying to tease out whether this was just another in a long line of (semi-desperate) lunges at anything that sounded compelling. But as I examined the idea, inspecting it from every angle, I became convinced it was a good fit for me. 

And so the work began. I had to identify the path from here (Marketing Manager for an insurance company) to there, mainly determining the education I would need, and where to get it. Fortunately, I live in what may be the therapy capital of the Universe: Los Angeles, so there are many options to get started. Several major universities, both public and private, plus a selection of "boutique" colleges, offer programs that lead to a Master of Family Therapy, which (along with a license) would allow me to practice.


My criteria:

• A good program, that would give me the training I need to be successful.
• A local program, since I intend to stay in the LA area.
• A program that is tied to the community, for when the time comes to find a place to practice.
• A program that would be flexible enough that I could continue to work as long as possible. I can't afford to go to school full time.
• A program I can afford.

With these criteria in mind, I began the search.

Welcome to Middle Age.

No, not the Middle Ages. (There will be no treatise on the Battle of Hastings.) Middle age: I turn 50 this year. And while I hate to be reduced to a cliche, I'm finishing up my mid-life crises. I've already dealt with a lot it: I had the sports car (which I traded in on a station wagon). I got divorced, dated again for the first time in 25 years, and met a wonderful woman. I've sent one child off to college, and I'm preparing for the empty nest when the second leaves in a few years. I've gone through a period of emotional turmoil, only to find myself on the other side, feeling healthy and happy for the first time in many, many years.

So what's left? My crappy career. It's long past time that I get out of my soul-sapping job (the latest in a series) and start something that will actually be soul-filling: Within a few years I plan to begin a new career as a therapist.

I've taken the first step by applying to a local graduate program. I hope to begin studies towards a Masters in Family Therapy in September, and in a couple of years, begin working as a therapist.

And that's what this blog is really about: what's it like for a middle-aged man, with a family to support, to start a new career? I intend to share everything from the simple logistical challenges, beginning with "how do I pay for this?," to the emotions and stresses the process evokes.

Oh, and the name of this blog? It's the name of a favorite song from my favorite musician, Bob Dylan. The chorus:

Only one thing

I did wrong
Stayed in Mississippi
A day too long

For me, Mississippi is all the things I should have done long ago. This blog is about me getting out, and starting over.

Better late than never.