Author Topic: The thrill is gone  (Read 6852 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline dhall57

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 3,677
  • The 70's! SOHC4 Honda's & Marcia Brady of course.
The thrill is gone
« on: March 30, 2014, 03:05:05 AM »
Just turned 57. Been at my current job since 1986 and never missed a day of work. A lot has changed in 28 years and not for the good and I'm not just talking about all my grey hair either. I could go on and on about it, but basically like the title says the thrill is not there anymore and Im tired of it and just plain fed up and burnt out. Has anyone else at this late stage of their working life just wanted or needed to pulled up roots and start doing something different. Graduated high school, but never been to college or have a degree just started working when I was 16 and been working ever since. At my age maybe the smart thing to do is some how suck it up and grit my teeth and hang it there for at least another 5 years but thinking about doing that is depressing though :(
1970 CB750KO
1971 CB500KO-project bike
1973 CB350G- project bike
1974 CB750K4-project bike
1974 CB750K4
1976 CB750K6
1977 GL1000
1997 Harley Wideglide

Offline demon78

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,816
  • After work to the "Wets"
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2014, 03:46:24 AM »
The demons perspective, use the coming 5 years or so of grind to change because you only go this way once and the more things you do is the more  satisfying when you're in your "Golden Age", (and golden age is a sarcasm that some one foisted on the world, curse them) any how the more you've done the better.
After all you've got to set a bad example for the grand children.
Bill the demon.

Offline boatsdickson

  • Hot Shot
  • ***
  • Posts: 673
  • 1978 836 K8
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2014, 04:21:52 AM »
Ill second "The Demons Perspective". The way the world has become, and the way in which a longterm dedicated worker is replaced or outsourced simply because corporate sees a dollar saved by getting rid of you, you should be grateful that your still employed and providing at this stage of the journey. Yeah it sucks, and yeah I'm sure the thrill is covered in the repetition of daily work and the grind, but its up to you as a person to rediscover what makes you tick and what makes your inner flame flicker. You'll find it somewhere. And before you know it looking back at this 5 year span will be done and over.

BTW, every generation find it tougher to find and hold that job due to how disposable a worker has become. Kudos to what you have contributed so far because I think the long term career and financial security is on its way out. Unless your of that certain few % who can look down on our working class.

If it makes you feel better, I'm 40 now and cant seem to make it much past the 5 year mark before any of my manufacturing jobs downsize or layoff forcing me to start over which I'm doing again right now. At 40 years of age my parents loaned me $200 bucks just to keep the utilities on and the tanks full. I look at your situation with envy, but also acknowledge the hard work that's got you that far.     Boats.... 8)
"No. We're all our own prisons, we are each all our own wardens and we do our own time. I can't judge anyone else. What other people do is not really my affair unless they approach me with it. Prison's in your mind. Can't you see I'm free"?  Testimonial of Charles Manson

Offline SOHC Digger

  • I'm not an
  • Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,171
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2014, 04:57:25 AM »
I agree as well. Don't stick with anything you hate. Try something new! Reinvigorate yourself!

Life is for living!

Offline ekpent

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 13,508
  • To many bikes-but lookin' for more
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2014, 05:29:27 AM »
Is that the symptoms of the classic "mid-life crisis" ?  Don't go the new blonde and red convertible route though   :D   Think 30 and out on the job-----
« Last Edit: March 30, 2014, 12:19:41 PM by ekpent »

Offline 05c50

  • 05c50
  • Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 755
    • Classic Motorcycle Solution
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2014, 06:51:29 AM »
I know exactly where you are, I was there a couple years ago. I was in an industry that I loved my entire working life. I started full time when I was a senior in high school. After 40 some years, I felt like it was sucking the life out of me. I looked forward to the weekends only to feel miserable on Sunday knowing that I had to go to work on Monday. I had decided that this is what we do - hate your job, but keep working until you can retire or die trying. When my grandson was born, I decided (with the help of my wonderful wife) that if I didn't do something, I'd never see him make it to kindergarten. We took a close look at our finances and what we "needed" to live and what things we could cut back on. I'm very fortunate that I was raised very conservatively and through the years have not created a lot of bills. Our house was close to being paid off and all of the SIX kids were out on their own, although we still had some college bills to pay. I quit about a year and a half ago and I never felt better. I have found ways to generate some income (you'd be surprised how many people will pay you to work on their bikes) and along with my wife's income, we're doing OK. There's been a lot of sacrifices, but at least I'm still here. I know that my circumstances are probably different, but it's something to think about.

.......Paul   
Wear a helmet,the life you save may be your own.Ask me how I know.               CB650C,CB550F,GL1000,CB750A

Offline Johnie

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,629
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #6 on: March 30, 2014, 07:37:11 AM »
hall...is it the job or the company and their new long hours? With the experience you have in that field would a change of scenery help? New people, new company, etc? I was at a place for 15 years and just needed the change of scenery, faces, etc. Was the best move I made. Should get me to retirement now in about 4 years. Then I can take a Wing ride out to see you and your collection.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2014, 07:39:59 AM by Johnie »
1970 CB750K0 - Candy Ruby Red
1973 CB750K3 - Candy Bacchus Olive or Sunflake Orange
1970 Chevy Chevelle SS396 - Cortez Silver
1976 GL1000 Sulphur Yellow

Oshkosh, WI  USA

Offline Stev-o

  • Ain't no
  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 34,461
  • Central Texas
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #7 on: March 30, 2014, 07:49:44 AM »
I agree as well. Don't stick with anything you hate. Try something new! Reinvigorate yourself!

Life is for living!

Easy to say, but to start a new career at 57 would not be an easy go.
Definitely check what options you have, but it may be difficult to match your existing salary and benefits package. 

Have you had a good 10-14 day vacation lately? I try to do it at least twice a year and get out of town and totally disconnect from work. 
'74 "Big Bang" Honda 750K [836].....'76 Honda 550F.....K3 Park Racer!......and a Bomber!............plus plus plus.........

Offline 05c50

  • 05c50
  • Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 755
    • Classic Motorcycle Solution
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #8 on: March 30, 2014, 08:07:20 AM »
 
[/quote] 
Have you had a good 10-14 day vacation lately? I try to do it at least twice a year and get out of town and totally disconnect from work. 
[/quote]

Sometimes that can be a tough thing to do. Even after 14 years at my last job, I was "given" two weeks of vacation a year and could not take more than 5 days off in a row. Taking 10-15 days off would have earned me a permanent vacation.

.......Paul
Wear a helmet,the life you save may be your own.Ask me how I know.               CB650C,CB550F,GL1000,CB750A

Offline honda_dog

  • Hot Shot
  • ***
  • Posts: 594
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #9 on: March 30, 2014, 08:55:27 AM »
I agree as well. Don't stick with anything you hate. Try something new! Reinvigorate yourself!

Life is for living!

Easy to say, but to start a new career at 57 would not be an easy go.
Definitely check what options you have, but it may be difficult to match your existing salary and benefits package. 

Have you had a good 10-14 day vacation lately? I try to do it at least twice a year and get out of town and totally disconnect from work.

I second that, Stev-o. It might be hard to match vacation time, benefits, etc. with a new job.

I also find that taking a day off in the middle of the week helps some, also. Sometimes it is good to break up the weeks, especially when they seem to drag on.

From experience, I get where you're coming from, sometimes you think you just can't take another day on your particular job, it's not the same as when you first started.... etc. I know you've had some job changes, lately, maybe that's adding to the misery. The flip side is, it never hurts to look for another career while still in your current one.

Take some time off, if you can, and unplug a little. See if what you are feeling is real, or just a "mid-life" yearning for something different.

Good luck.
1978 CB750K
1981 CB900F
1978 Suzuki GS1000E
1981 Suzuki GS1100EX
1980 Suzuki GS1000S (Wes Cooley replica)
1982 Suzuki GS1000S Katana
1982 Suzuki GS1100EZ
1983 Suzuki GS1100ED
1983 Suzuki GS1100ESD
2014 Honda F6B Deluxe

Offline Lost and Confused

  • Bob
  • Enthusiast
  • **
  • Posts: 209
  • An old fart !!
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #10 on: March 30, 2014, 10:28:02 AM »
I retired from the auto industry after 30 years. I hated 20 years of it.  But those jobs were few and far between. Even today I am jealous of people who work at what they love. I stuck it out but I'm paying for it now, just had my 3rd back surgery a month ago, along with a right knee replacement. No one knew what ergonomics was back in the seventies. What ever you decide, I'm sure will be the best for you. I've been where you are and it sucks. Thank God for my family!.


Good Luck  Bob

Offline BobbyR

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 12,365
  • Proud Owner of the Babe Thread & Dirty Old Man
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #11 on: March 30, 2014, 11:10:04 AM »
I have been where you are twice. I worked for one Company for 30 years and retired with my pension. The pension is not very generous, but I was able to find anothe job. Both of these incomes is pretty good. The Wife also makes a lot of money so we live well. House is paid off and we are making long term improvements while we have the income.

I am where you are now and my childhood frirnds are in the same boat as you are. We have all worked since we were teenagers and we are tired of the grind. It gets diffacult to just get up and go in, Monday being the worst. I enjoyed my job for the first few years, now it has turned ugly and I am thinking of leaving in 18 months or sooner.

We have a financial advisor who is very sharp and he has run the numbers and we should be OK if I stick it out to 65 1/2.

Here is the bottom line from my expereince:

There is age discrimination out there. I had 3 screening interviews for a job 4 months ago. They could not wait to speak with me. I was on a short list of three candidates. When they brought me in I had to fill out another form. When the HR Lady saw I graduated HS in 1969 her expression changed. I went through the 4 people I was to interview with and we had a great time. Never got a call.

In today's MBA driven business model you actually work for yourself. The day you wind up in the wrong box on the the spreadsheet you are history.  As others have said, figure out what your skill set is and begin making moves in that direction. Side jobs for cash are very good, if you have the health benefits from somewhere.

Stress will kill ya, not right away, but it will. At some point money takes a backseat to quality of life, if you are all busted up, how are you going to enjoy the money! 
Dedicated to Sgt. Howard Bruckner 1950 - 1969. KIA LONG KHANH.

But we were boys, and boys will be boys, and so they will. To us, everything was dangerous, but what of that? Had we not been made to live forever?

Offline rb550four

  • Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,471
  • I'm nobody's slave and nobody's master
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #12 on: March 30, 2014, 11:47:14 AM »
 I  think Ekpent is onto something there. Mid life crisis comes to us in our 50's . It's the time when we notice the light at the at the end of the tunnel and we self evaluate our lives.
 Some guys do feel the need to be younger and do the blonde and sports car. Other guys are happy with the wife and the station wagon but still inexplicably feel super restless. Like there is something missing, a nagging lack of control over your current situation which, by the way , you may have been pleased with just last year. That's the problem with a mid life crisis, we don't know what we need or want, we think we just need it to be different somehow. It's a confusing time.
  The first thing we want to change will always be the constants, job , wife, location....like this will get us out of the rut. Tons of guys reinvent themselves this way. Not always successfully. Divorce, splitting  property, moving to an apartment, sometimes far away from the kids, possibly underemployed or worse. A restart at 50 ish won't be easy.
 Then if you get your feet on the ground and some self respect, some younger chickie comes along.
You get to be an over aged Daddy with a girl 20 years your junior who in 5 years will be feeling like you did when all this started. Then everything turns to $hit again.
 How many times have we seen this happen to other guys?  We condemn the foolishness before it happens to us. Then, at some point , we find ourselves questioning everything,  perhaps even sabotaging our own lives , convincing ourselves that we are strong enough to change everything in our lives and it will be better.
   I got into this same rut a couple years ago, didn't see it coming, thought mid life crisis was BS or would only happen to weak people...wrong , it happens to the majority of men.
   I didn't identify this reality as a problem until last year...when I was certain that it wasn't happening to me. Wrong again, almost too late. First I thought it was the job, then the wife, the climate , then all of it...I was distancing myself from everything so when it was time to start over it wouldn't be that hard. That all made sense to me, kind of, in a twisted sort of way.
  Then, I started researching the internet on how to cope with this restlessness and find out if it happens to others my age. DUH. From what I've read the trick seems to be an understanding and supportive wife who is willing to put up will some BS (but not much) and  with your commitment , can defuse ,put in perspective, and retain a truthful loving relationship that will be the rock... a foothold to all that matters in your life.
   Also  from what I've read, This desperateness will subside and be forgotten in a few short years anyways. As long as you both are working together to keep it together, there is greater chance of getting past it easier.
   For me ,   I'm still having a time keeping a handle on it all before I fcuk everything up.
I am hopeful that the comfort of the life I've built will soon overtake the doubt, frustration , self destructive, rise from the ashes to reinvent myself kind of BS thoughts that occupy one's mind.
 I thought mid life crisis was BS... Damn , I've been wrong allot.  It happens to us.
 Doesn't mean you are weak, it just means you are Human.
If you can stay at your job for another 5 years , the time may blow past you like a summer breeze.
 
« Last Edit: March 30, 2014, 12:04:54 PM by rb550four »
A few Honda 500's, a few Honda 550's, a few Honda 650's, '72 cb 450, a couple 500/550/650 hybrids, and 2001 750. 
  550 Snowbike -Somebody had to do it.
  http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,101678.0.html             
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,137317.msg1550907.html#msg1550907

Offline boatsdickson

  • Hot Shot
  • ***
  • Posts: 673
  • 1978 836 K8
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #13 on: March 30, 2014, 12:03:56 PM »
Very insightful writing RB. Didnt notice it mentioned yet but just for today I recommend a ride. Go listen to the pipes for a few miles & count all the dumbasses on cellphones that drift into your lane....Boats  8)
"No. We're all our own prisons, we are each all our own wardens and we do our own time. I can't judge anyone else. What other people do is not really my affair unless they approach me with it. Prison's in your mind. Can't you see I'm free"?  Testimonial of Charles Manson

Offline BobbyR

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 12,365
  • Proud Owner of the Babe Thread & Dirty Old Man
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #14 on: March 30, 2014, 12:39:48 PM »
I think there is a difference between plain old job burn out and Mid Life Crisis. Job burn out is very common. It it does not mean the rest of your life is making you unhappy. The Guys who go out and dump the Wife and get the young chick and all that bull#$%* to recapture a youth, went over the high side and will wind up wadded up on the side of the Road.

Most people I know in their 50's or 60's are feeling the same way. As the title says, "The Thrill is Gone". The career you once had is now a job, the new things you once learned are now just mundane. You have seen it all and what you see is no longer interesting. You are bored, just plain bored, and the things you are expected to do just don't seem worth it.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2014, 03:50:18 PM by BobbyR »
Dedicated to Sgt. Howard Bruckner 1950 - 1969. KIA LONG KHANH.

But we were boys, and boys will be boys, and so they will. To us, everything was dangerous, but what of that? Had we not been made to live forever?

Offline 2wheels

  • Hot Shot
  • ***
  • Posts: 511
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #15 on: March 30, 2014, 02:25:03 PM »
Hi
Just wanted to say I share your dilemma, almost exactly.  Same age and just about everything else.
I was buying lottery tickets for the last little while, think I'm going to stop.
Don't have any suggestions but wanted to say thanks for sharing.
I will be reading here just in case someone shares some divine inspiration.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2014, 02:31:11 PM by 2wheels »
1970 CB750 K0 (I can't believe I tossed my duck tail seat in the trash 30 years ago)

Offline ekpent

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 13,508
  • To many bikes-but lookin' for more
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #16 on: March 30, 2014, 02:34:42 PM »
Lot of info out there about Mid-Life, think it is just something we all go through a little as part of our journey.  http://personaltao.com/taoism-library/midlife-crisis/signs-of-a-midlife-transformation/
« Last Edit: March 31, 2014, 04:37:15 AM by ekpent »

Offline dhall57

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 3,677
  • The 70's! SOHC4 Honda's & Marcia Brady of course.
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #17 on: March 30, 2014, 03:08:23 PM »
Wow thanks sohc4 family ;D These replies and input really help and it seems that I'm not the only one that is or has been in this situation. Its been a roller coaster ride on this job over the years. It's not just one thing, but a combination of everything thats got me wanting to move on. But a steady income, insurance, and 3 weeks vacation makes it hard to leave even though I know I need a change.
1970 CB750KO
1971 CB500KO-project bike
1973 CB350G- project bike
1974 CB750K4-project bike
1974 CB750K4
1976 CB750K6
1977 GL1000
1997 Harley Wideglide

Offline Johnie

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,629
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #18 on: March 30, 2014, 05:12:59 PM »
If you find someone that needs you bad enough you can always bargain for the pay and vacation. Experience is what you have to offer to another competitor.
1970 CB750K0 - Candy Ruby Red
1973 CB750K3 - Candy Bacchus Olive or Sunflake Orange
1970 Chevy Chevelle SS396 - Cortez Silver
1976 GL1000 Sulphur Yellow

Oshkosh, WI  USA

Offline Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er

  • This MuthaF'er is getting to be a
  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 14,937
  • Bought her new 4/75
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #19 on: March 30, 2014, 06:56:27 PM »
The head on motorcycle collision changed my perspective. I had started a side business that was to be a supplement until it became my retirement venue. Worked the regular job too. I decided I had nothing to prove any longer. I did not go back to the grind. I've never worn a watch since. Life and time could have ended at that moment as I lay on the ground unconscious and my 5 year old daughter's voice came to me and said 'wake up daddy'. I gave the business 3 years to be where I wanted and it wasn't there so I sold it and just took off for the next year. 2 years of no income getting the business established. Made a little. I was persuaded to return to my occupation as a fill in guy. I call the shots, work when/if I want to. I got out of the marriage I was trapped into and have never been happier. Just completed my taxes. I make 1/3 of what I did and without the 'drain' I got divorced from I'm doing just fine. Investments are working great and I'd covered my ass for just this moment.

How much time do you have? How much time do I have? Exactly, we don't know. Enjoy whats left without the stress. I'm glad I said '#$%* it!'. Just glad I was able to. PLUS, I'll get social security in 3 years.
As of today 3/13/2012 my original owner 75 CB750F has made it through 3 wives, er EX-wives. Free at last.  ;-)

Offline Pecantree

  • Hot Shot
  • ***
  • Posts: 447
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #20 on: March 30, 2014, 09:05:19 PM »
Dhall
You've struck a chord.
I know its bittersweet at our age but happy birthday. I'd love to sit down and have a beer with you.
I'm a few days away from my 57th. First job was at a lumberyard at 14. I don't know what to say other than I read and appreciate what you contribute here. I recharge from good friends and a good ride.
Steve
http://www.harvestclassic.org/

"The suspect had experienced a ballistic interlude earlier in the evening" Miss Pao said, "Regrettably not filmed, and relived himself of excess velocity by means of an ablative technique."         ......    ?    ........         "She say you have road rash."

Offline Terry in Australia

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 33,391
  • So, what do ya wanna talk about today?
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #21 on: March 31, 2014, 02:20:25 AM »
All the best Dwight, my job is as boring as batshiit at times, but I get to drive all over the state to make sure all my guys are doing their jobs, and the company I work for leaves me alone to do my own thing as they don't understand how military logistics work, so as long as they're not getting any complaints, they're happy. I also get the opportunity to visit my elderly parents almost every week, so that in itself is worth the boredom.

I'd love to have my own business fixing old bikes from home, but I've still got a mortgage so I can't rely on occasional bike work to keep me financial, and of course, one bad experience can really damage your reputation if the disenchanted party has access to social media.

I think I'd like to become a Marijuana Rancher. Excellent working conditions, a fantastic return for effort, and to make a good living I don't need to buy/lease huge tracts of land. As I could grow the stuff in my spare rooms, I don't even need to go outside to tend my crops.

According to the interweb, there are folks of Asian or Italian extraction who would be happy to buy my harvest in bulk so I wouldn't have to concern myself with the logistics of distribution or retailing, and the same folks will also provide any security measures needed. Win/win!

Of course there are some setup costs, like a hydroponic growing system, solar electricity, seeds, fertilizer, flower pots etc, but it's infinitely do-able, and much easier than fixing horrible old bikes that any self respecting bike shop would refuse to piss on.............. Cheers, Terry. ;D
I was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't afford new bike boots, until I met a man with no legs.

So I said, "Hey mate, you haven't got any bike boots you don't need, do you?"

"Crazy is a very misunderstood term, it's a fine line that some of us can lean over and still keep our balance" (thanks RB550Four)

Offline HondanutRider

  • Ride often - ride long - ride SAFE...and be an
  • Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,283
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #22 on: March 31, 2014, 05:32:00 AM »
I've got a few more year's under me than you have (like about +10) but I can relate to what you are feeling.  Back before your current age, I also felt the thrill leaving.  I changed-up my lifestyle a bit when the wife suggested we get back into riding again.  That was a great move!  But I was still feeling uninspired at work, even tho I often got to ride in on two wheels.  I was grumbling a lot and when I had to do some lay-offs even suggested they should offer me a package.  Sure enough, at the next round they had one for me.  I danced out of there with lots of joy!  Even with the cut in income we are surviving and I've never been busier doing nothing.  One of the great things I now have picked-up is instructing new riders for their license - I love introducing myself by stating that I have no job!

My advice would be to hang in there and don't abandon the ties you currently have with friends and family.  Seek out some new challenges you can enjoy with both - maybe some trips to special places.  Seriously look at what it would take in dollars to survive and enjoy what you have earned, and as soon as you can manage it - MAKE THE BREAK.

Offline demon78

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,816
  • After work to the "Wets"
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #23 on: March 31, 2014, 09:55:18 AM »
As a follow up if the job is secure use the money and what ever from it to do some thing completely different as a hobby or prep for 65 and if they come along in a few years and make you redundant you can laugh at them, just remember while the BS piles up at work you can smile and go home to something that you like or if you're a nasty old prick like me figure out when your leaving would hurt them the most and then walk in and say, guess what guys, it's time we talked, what am I offered.
Because figure it out at 57 there's realistically not a good chance at a new well paying job, if there is quickly run out and buy a lottery ticket.
Bill the demon.

Offline Blasbo

  • Hot Shot
  • ***
  • Posts: 358
Re: The thrill is gone
« Reply #24 on: March 31, 2014, 11:01:51 AM »
I was in a similar situation myself a few years ago. The tension built and built, but I just learned to deal with it (I thought). One day during a meeting my boss cussed me, I cussed him back. I got up and left, came in the next day and apologized. He fired me.
After a few months, I found a job making a third of the money, but a ten times better boss. It was worth it.
My point is to look around and see what your options are before you don't have any options.