Most of us have said it at one time or another: “I’m right in the middle of something.”
It’s one of those phrases that captures exactly how life feels when everything is happening at once.
And when you stop to think about it, the middle shows up just about everywhere in life, often in the most interesting and unexpected ways.
Take the geographic middle. If you ever wanted to stand at the exact center of the contiguous United States, you would need to make your way to Lebanon, Kansas, a small and quietly proud town in the northern part of the state.
The location was determined in the early 20th century by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey using a wonderfully low-tech method. They cut out a cardboard map of the country and balanced it on the head of a pin until they found its center of gravity. That spot turned out to be just outside Lebanon, where a small, peaceful memorial now marks the place.
Other examples include middle of the road, finding middle ground and sometimes being very aware that it’s the middle of the night.
Many would attest to being a middle child, that well-studied member of the family who grew up between the oldest and youngest. It’s not always the easiest spot in the family lineup, but it comes with its own set of strengths and a story worth telling.
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Middle age deserves a mention as well. No one can quite agree on when it starts, but for most people, it was probably one of the busiest stretches in life even if they were too caught up in living it to fully appreciate it at the time.
I love being in the middle of a really good book, that wonderful stretch when you’re completely lost in the story, not ready for it to end and not wanting to put it down for even a moment.
Same is true about being in the middle of a perfect day, that sweet spot when the morning is behind us, the evening has not yet arrived, and everything feels just right for a little while.
Those are the moments worth holding onto.
The middle can have a way of sneaking up on us before realizing that’s where we are. Beginnings tend to grab our attention and endings seem to linger, but the middle is where most of the good stuff happens.
So the next time you find yourself right in the middle of something, you can smile at how special being in the middle can be.
Writer, editor and speaker Cheryl Russell is a Laguna Woods Village resident. Contact her at [email protected].
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