The world “middle” has been buzzing around in my head lately. Not that middle is an uncommon word, just too common for me. Maybe I am more aware of middle since we just finished reading Lord of the Rings, which is set in Middle Earth. It’s that old reticular activator at work in my mind. The reticular activator is the part of the brain which is aware of similarities. If you just bought a hybrid, thinking you are the only person in town who has one, you will be aware of hybrids everywhere. Green smoothies, Cross-fit, any fad that you follow, suddenly appears popular. My reticular activator is noticing “middle”, cropping up in the middle of everything. I even noticed there have been at least two TV shows about middle, neither of which I have seen, “Malcom in the Middle” and “The Middle”.
What is the middle? The Oxford Dictionary defines middle two ways. ADJECTIVE: at an equal distance from the extremities of something; central or NOUN: the point at or around the center of a process or activity, period of time, etc.
This is not what I think of. When I think of middle, I think of someone, or something, falling between the cracks. I think of something more difficult and more frustrating, something ignored or reviled. Is it not ironic that the middle finger is considered a rude gesture?
Attention is given to gifted students to whom an A comes easily; attention is also given to students who barely pass. The student in the middle is left on their own, to sink or swim without resources. The middle child, neither the oldest nor the baby, traditionally struggles the hardest. If you are very poor or very rich, your income tax percentage is low. It is the middle class who bear the tax burden. If you are destitute or wealthy, there are many health care resources available. If you are in the middle, you can’t afford many treatments but you don’t qualify for help either. Middle age does not enjoy the bloom of youth nor the wisdom of being old. Middle names are rarely used, except when someone shares a name with a parent or close relative.
The name of the sea journey by slave ships from West Africa to the West Indies was called the Middle Passage. There is always fighting in the Middle East. The Middle Ages are considered the darkest period in history. You don’t want to be left in the Middle of Nowhere. Middle of the Road is average, something unadventurous or inoffensive. Middle Managers take the most heat for problems in the work place. Middle America – is it the culturally conservative areas of the United States or the economically disadvantaged countries between Mexico and Columbia? And don’t even start me on Middle School . . . .
Be aware of the middle, it needs to be noticed.