Mid-life Transportation Crisis by Elise Hart Kipness

Jenn McKinlay: I am delighted to share this fabulous post by today's guest Elise Hart Kipness. Why? Well, because it is extremely relatable. Take it away, Elise!

Elise Hart Kipness: I never thought I’d have a midlife crisis—maybe because I got married late. Maybe because I considered myself too practical. Or chicken. Maybe because things had been good with my first novel, LIGHTS OUT, getting released and the second in the works.

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But, I learned last winter that midlife crises can sneak up on you.

My midlife crisis involved transportation. I know—you’re all thinking, a sports car, right? Did I go for the shiny red Porsche or the silver Corvette? Did my husband get mad when I emptied the bank account for an outrageous and frivolous purchase? After all, we’d always been a Subaru-kind of family. But, no. You have it all wrong.

The mode of transportation I ended up with was a standup electric scooter. Let that sink in. A middle-age-ish mom of two college boys riding around for three months on a standup scooter. Too cool for school, right? 

Full picture—my husband bought me a very pretty powder blue scooter and himself, an orange one. He still does not consider the standup scooter a midlife crisis. He sees it as a practical way to get around Key West, our new home during the winter. “We’re wearing helmets,” he will point out to anyone who asks. 

And it was fun. We’d ride to dinner on our scooters, not having to worry about parking. We’d zip to the farmers market or a concert. Did I worry that something might happen? Maybe. A little, but then, I can be a worrier.

You probably know where this is going. A dark night on a quiet street—I hit a divot in the road. The scooter came to a stop but I kept going. I flew through the air and landed in the middle of the street. I remember the seconds before I landed. I knew I’d be injured, the question was how badly.

I landed on my right arm, kind of in an awkward yoga side-plank. The pain in my arm was excruciating. I was nauseous and couldn’t stand. My husband helped me to the curb and called 911. I was very lucky–my injuries could have been so much worse. I broke my arm in two places and was given a sling. Because the break was near my shoulder (the humerus bone) they couldn’t even put it in a cast, which meant I could keep writing. That was a huge relief as I was in the middle of drafting book two of my Kate Green series.

That night, as I sat up on the couch unable to sleep because of the pain. I stared at the scooter, which my husband had left in the hallway. We had a talk. Well, I spoke to the scooter. It didn’t respond–perhaps shocked or saddened by my words. Perhaps because it’s, you know, an inanimate object. 

“We had fun,” I said. “But this could never be a long term relationship,” I felt tears in my eyes. Wistfulness, maybe? Pain, more likely.  “I need stability.” I continued. We both knew where this was going. I would be trading in the powder blue scooter for a more age-appropriate mode of travel. And, so, if you visit Key West this winter, you will find me driving around in my very sturdy new golf cart. 

This time around—if another flashy object catches my eye, I will practice self-control. I can remain safely planted behind my keyboard and send my main character out for a spin. Kate Green is way cooler than me anyway.

Have you had a midlife crisis? Or can you predict what yours might look like?

About LIGHTS OUT: 

In this exciting debut novel, the first in the series, comes a fast-paced thriller that follows a sports reporter’s journey off the court…and into a world of murder and deception.

Former Olympic athlete and sports reporter Kate Green isn’t sure how much more tumultuous her life can get. She’s been put on temporary leave from her job, then NBA superstar Kurt Robbins is killed and the prime suspect in his murder is none other than his wife…and Kate’s best friend.

Kate knows that Yvette’s marriage wasn’t exactly stable, but her friend is no murderer, and Kate is determined to prove it with her own investigation. While she tries to salvage Yvette’s life, Kate’s own continues to unravel. Her career is in limbo. Gossip columns speculate about her future. Her children are battling their own demons. And her estranged father suddenly reenters her life as a detective assigned to Kurt’s homicide case.

As her worlds collide—exposing secrets, lies, and ulterior motives—Kate may have to choose between the games she can play and the one she might lose.

Elise Hart Kipness is a former television sports reporter turned crime writer. In addition to reporting for Fox Sports Network, Elise was a reporter at New York’s WNBC-TV, News 12 Long Island, NY, and the Associated Press. She is currently Co-President of the newly formed Sisters in Crime Connecticut (SinC-CT). A graduate of Brown University, Elise has two college age sons and three labradoodles. She and her husband divide their time between Stamford, Connecticut and Key West, Florida.