I've always been in the middle.
Middle sibling.
Middle of two generations.
Middle of two political spectrums.
Middle of my sexuality.
Mediator of every friend's conflict.
Mediator of all of my parent's disagreements.
Middleground.
Middle.
Quite balanced, this word: MIDDLE.
Middle.
Does it make you dizzy reading it over and over like it has for me? Leaving you wondering if you even know what it means?
As a noun:
-
the point or position at an equal distance from the sides, edges, or ends of something.
-
the form or voice of a verb expressing reflexive or reciprocal action, or a passive sense for a transitive or intransitive verb.
As an adjective:
-
at an equal distance from the extremities of something; central.
How interesting: the middle.
Far from the edges, far from the ends. Transitive. Equal. Central.
Fickle. Mediocre. Weak. Trader. Lost. Indecisive. That's what they tell us about the middle. So I spent most of my life creeping as close to the edges as I possibly could. The extremities get the most attention, you know. I didn't want to disappear.
Black or white.
Right or wrong.
Good or evil.
Living cut and dry was easy. Opinions were simple. Judgment was my default. Objective was my wheelhouse.
Contrary to popular belief, living in the extremities is uncomplicated.
Living in the extremities requires little self-questioning.
No personal-challenging.
Truly, not much vulnerability.
Truly, not much bravery.
Truly, not much ingenuity.
Truly, not much depth.
Living in the extremities is protection.
Living in the extremities feels safe.
I understand.
I understand that radicalization is an important step for change. Physics alone shows us that the pendulum must swing to its farthest ends to come back to center.
And I think that living here must be biggest cop-out we can choose in this life.
The middle is the word and.
The middle is the color grey.
The middle is compassion and empathy.
The middle is the bigger picture.
The middle is subjectivity.
The middle is fluidity.
The middle is open.
The middle is both.
The middle is everything.
The middle isn't easy. The middle can be blurry. The middle can feel emotional. The middle can feel trapped. The middle can be scary.
Yet I believe that the middle has all the wisdom of the universe. I believe the middle is a path to liberation.
So what if, just for today, you chose to look at everything subjectively.
If, just for today, you chose compassion and empathy.
If, just for today, you wonder if everything is a little more grey than contrasted.
If, just for today, you zoom out and look at the bigger picture.
If, just for today, you allow for many opposing truths.
If, just for today, you chose the middle.
They say the middle is the center.
