“Clowns to the left of me…”

It was 1972 when this song hit #6 of the Hot 100 chart. I was twelve years old. The lyrics “stuck in the middle ” flowing in sync from my lips, resonating between my head and heart,  somehow giving me subtle permission to name call.

Age three: my place as the youngest child was usurped by the birth of my baby brother.  Elevated to the middle kid, no returns.

“Jokers to the right”

By the time I was eight, I determined to catch up with my distant cousins in performing the perfect cartwheel. I was prepped and ready to perform when I saw them again two years later.  News flash: the cartwheel was soooo yesterday, now they were spinning front and backflips. (sigh)

Oh, and add being old enough to wear fishnets and miniskirts to that bygone  list as well!

Fast Forward.

To the left of me, I am in touch with my being a late bloomin’ babyboomer only because big sister allowed me to tag along.

Further left (nothing political here) are the tried and true war veterans, workaholics and loyal salt-of-the-earth folk whose handshake is their blood signature. Love them, just not all the minutia.

To my right, some jokers yes, mostly newbies, Gen X, Millenniums and future tweets from a birth canal resident announcing its arrival. Each will soon be qualified to become my next employer. I applaud their social networking speed and ability to still manage their way into my pocketbook. (Pocketbook? Did I really type that word out loud?)

“Here I am.”

As I have experienced, there are many places to be in the middle: family feuds, messy bedrooms, trains of thought, paper to paperless, telegram to Instagram,  the middle of this page, still catching up.      My world is filled to capacity with these elements, and more.

 When it comes to intimacy and transparency, there is no room for middle ground.

“I’ve nothing to hide!” doesn’t mean “bare all.” “You have to be transparent” doesn’t mean diluted delivery to the whole wide world.

When I intend to communicate with you personally, it’s intimate, special delivery and for your eyes (and ears) only…

”Stuck in the middle with you!”