EXPERIENCING MY MID-LIFE CRISES AND AFTERWARD: VARIOUS HERMENEUTICAL ANALYSES OF LIVED EXPERIENCES
Part 1EDWARD READ BARTON
DOI: 10.2190/EE7V-870H-KWN4-06HH
Abstract
This is the first of a series of experience reports exploring the interpretations of men at midlife from various hermeneutical perspectives. Part 1 is the first interpretation of what might be called "typical U.S. professionalism," which is mostly concerned with "written in stone" laws, rules, procedures that are overly deterministic, constrictive, cultural deployments, and the resulting mid-life crises that occurred in my life. The second aspect of Part 1 is an interpretation of mythopoetic men's work, which is more fluid, imaginative, creative, interpretative, and has been and continues to be emotionally healing for me. Part 2 to follow in a subsequent issue describes my experience with triple by-pass surgery and the emotional support I received from my men's support group. Part 3, also to follow, though less poignant, considers several theoretical frameworks, including autoethnography, personal narrative, and images. Finally, the summary calls for an enlivened hermeneutics for men-- interpretations that include feelings, connectedness, lived experiences . . . moistened by the power of the heart.
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