Today's writing challenge word is: MIDDLE. For me, being a creature of comfort and the familiar, the middle is a great place to be. Of course it depends somewhat on what we're talking about. If it's pain or illness or suffering of some kind, being in the middle isn't so great. If I'm in the middle of a long transatlantic flight and I still have as many hours left as I've flown, I'm less than thrilled. But, it's also true that if I'm in the middle, even one step forward means I'm closer to the end than the beginning and that is a good thing.
But if I'm in the middle of something I actually enjoy, I love being in the middle. I don't generally like beginnings because they're full of unknowns. I really don't like endings because I am terrible with goodbyes and the deflated feeling of something being over. But the middle? That's my favourite place to be. In a restaurant, it means your food has arrived and you've already dug in. Out for a walk, it means you're about to start your way back to the car. Reading a novel, you're in the best part of story development. During a weekend away, it means I've settled in and there is still ample time left.
If you know me at all, saying I love the middle is somewhat ironic for this black and white thinker. I don't have neutral, in the middle feelings very often. But, as the middle is becoming increasingly rare, I find myself gravitating toward the middle also in my thinking. The world is alarmingly polarized. Every issue is either ultra left or ultra right. You're either 100 % behind the government narrative around COVID or you're an antivaxxer, conspiracy theorist. Moderation doesn't seem to exist anymore. But I am stubbornly insisting that there is in fact still a middle. This does not mean that I promote unending compromise and settling on the lowest common denominator. But it does mean trying to consider both sides of an issue. It does mean thinking about things for myself and discussing them with a trusted friend. I think more people should aspire to be in the middle.
