Midlife Crisis Odyssey

I have often felt that I don’t really fit in. Whether this is true or a neurosis I’m not sure. But I often just feel a little bit on the outer. Travelling as a single, middle-aged bloke is unusual, at least that’s what I’ve found on my world tour of New Zealand. Come to think of it, I haven’t met any other travelling, single, middle-aged blokes at all. I mean, no-one actually comes right out and says to me ‘single…

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I have often been criticised for being too outspoken about my musical likes and dislikes. It’s probably fair enough as when I don’t like a particular song or band, chances are I’m pretty vocal about it. In fact, I probably utter the phrase ‘I fucking hate this song’ more often than any other during my waking hours. I have disliked a lot of commercial music ever since I was a primary school kid watching Countdown on the telly and listening…

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‘Don’t open ’til Doomsday, you might not like what you find inside.’ Have you ever heard the phrase ‘Don’t ask the question if you don’t want the answer’? It’s a bind isn’t it: you’re hoping for the answer you want, but know there’s a pretty good chance it might not be the answer you get. Receive the answer you want and it’s a huge relief. Get the answer you don’t and it’s going to hurt. A lot. So what to…

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So intones the gravelly voice of the sinister DJ that accompanies us through the 2015 horror road movie ‘Southbound’ (Soapbox/Willowbrook Regent Films). The film is an interlocking montage of five stories involving travellers on a desolate, arid highway. The DJ voice-overs appear through the film, providing tough love and counsel, playing tunes and promising to ‘be right here with you, making sure you get where you’re going’. I’ve been on the road for much of my midlife crisis, even before…

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When I was in primary school these new books appeared called ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’, and we loved ’em. They were a series of stories set in all sorts of exotic locations, like outer space, ye olde medieval days and the Wild West. After reading a short section, you were then given the choice to follow one of multiple paths. If you wanted to chase the Indians through the canyon, you’d turn to page 14. Alternatively, you could choose to…

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Since the start of corona-rama here in NZ the government has been constantly reminding us to ‘be kind to one another’. Or as the Kiwis are also prone to say, ‘Don’t be a dick’. You know, leave a pack of toilet rolls on the shelf for the next person, be patient as we all get used to the new regulations, and stay home when you’re told to for the greater good of all. As I’ve mentioned I’m currently bunkered down…

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Long walks are great for a whole bunch of reasons. There are the obvious physical benefits of getting the body moving, particularly in an age when most technology encourages us to do the opposite. A simple walk can also help to clear our minds and relieve us of stress. Walking in nature permits us to reconnect with the real world; the fundamental environment upon which we depend. Dad liked to walk. He had long, lanky legs and would take long,…

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