I could have chosen a sports car or a women half my age, but the year I turned forty, I chose a carousel. This magical carousel gave me an incredible ride into midlife, turning what could have been a period of crisis into one of amazing creativity. Midlife is the time for going home to the Self and giving intense attention to living soulfully. I did not set out to write about transition; I was always going to describe the fascinating process that had brought Chuck Kaparich along on his journey. The metaphor was just too strong. I could not help seeing the similarities of Chuck's pilgrimage and mine. As I observed Chuck's transition, I was experiencing my own. The magic of a carousel spoke to the midlife transitions of two men from different parts of the country. Two kindred souls met and received the gift of the carousel's magic.