At one point in the new film The Life of Chuck, Nick Offerman’s faux-authoritative narrator, observing strangers caught up in an impromptu dance, says, “That is why God made the world.

While in years past the midlife crisis might have been fueled by a dawning reaction to one’s own mortality, for new 40-somethings, it’s more like a progress report.

Now, I am entering another life stage. OK, Lord, I prayed on Ash Wednesday, my gaze resting on the statue of Jesus, suffering on the cross for me. I don’t need a reminder that I’m turning to dust!