Paula Abdul's Midlife Crisis

By Dave Newton

So Paula's leaving Idol. One more midlife crisis. We all get them. In the Age of Acceleration, we do more, see more, start and lose more, than ever before. How many jobs, relationships, episodes, have come and gone in your life? Paula's seen plenty, and she's only forty-seven.

Wikipedia.org, the Web's open-source, constantly updated encyclopedia, divides Paula Abdul's career into "eras," delineated by hit tunes and albums — "Forever Your Girl era (1987 -- 1990)."

American Idol (2002 -- 2009) is by far her longest era to date.

WHAT IS "midlife crisis," anyway? Wikipedia's entry says it can happen any time between 30 and 60 — turmoil caused by "sensing the passing of youth and the imminence of old age."

What's that? How imminent can "old age" be when you're 47 in 2009? How soon will crushing deterioration drag you down when you could live actively well into your 80s or 90s? We worry about it, though your chances of thriving are better than ever.

We really shouldn't be identifying with Paula, a woman who's changing jobs because she didn't get a multi-million-dollar raise when the guys on the show did, who can name her own next opportunity and her price to do it. A splendid physical specimen — a dancer — a woman in her prime. And who knows how long primes can last today, if you don't poison yourself with chemicals? But we do identify with celebrities, so get over it.

I don't think Paula Abdul is troubled and depressed by middle age. In fact, she's made a stupendously smart business move here. She's taken control of an irresistible story line, and we're all gobbling it up — by "us" I mean all of us slavering, bug-eyed media clowns, desperate for attention.

I don't apologize.

I can use this as a teaching moment. Oops, shouldn't call it that. But consider this: you can embrace crises and turn them to your advantage. And you get lots of opportunities to crash or climb in this scrambling world. Use your crises — imminent obstacles and sudden collapses — see them as opportunities for a clean start, a chance to do something new.

Let the status quo go. It'll go whether you want it to or not. What happens next is your choice.