Life in the Middle

This week, Janice from Prompt Addicts, a flickr group I participate in, challenged us to place our subject smack dab in the middle of our images.  I have been so focused on making sure my subjects are not smack in the middle due to the lessons learned about composition, ie: off-center creates more interest etc etc that to be able to shed this concentration has been almost liberating.  And along with this challenge more thoughts on the subject of "middle" have cropped up in my mind....cropped, funny I can't seem to go too far from photography terms.  I have lived a fairly "middle" life....

• I grew up in a "middle"-class family
• Always made "middle" kinda grades, not all A's & B's and not all D's & F's
• In high school, I was not the most popular, but not the least either
• I now live in a "mid"-priced home, not over the top, but not the other side of the tracks type
• I live in the "Mid"-west
• My politics are "middle" of the road, I go for the man & the issues, not so much the party.
• I have the perfect "middle" America family, one husband, one daughter, one son and one dog
• I managed to climb to "middle" management when I worked for AT&T
• I am awake far too often in the "middle" of the night
• I am sorta (not quite) "mid"-height
• I always wear shoes with "mid" heels, would absolutely fall over if I put on those high heels

It's not so bad being in the middle, in fact it is quite comfortable, not complacent, just comfortable.  If I was at the top of my class, the most popular, lived in the best neighborhood, made it to president of the company I do believe the stress would be over-whelming to remain "the best, and on the "top".  I'll stick with the middle and be happy.

These are my "middle" images....It rained last night so I jumped at the opportunity to photograph some raindrops...

Caught this of my brother one day at the beach....he looks so troubled, wonder what he was thinking....??  Then again, he may have been rubbing the sea and salt from his eyes...who knows?

Cattle in the middle of beach country...(if you look closely, the beach is beyond the fence in the background)

Sacred Heart Church, Galveston, TX - it would probably be a good idea of we Christians would keep Christ smack dab in the middle of our lives.

And finally, this little poster that I designed and am having printed indicating that everyone doesn't have to be the best, it really takes a lot of "middle" to create the beautiful.

"You have a unique message to deliver; a unique song to sing, a unique act of love to bestow.  This message, this song, and this act of love have been entrusted exclusively to the one and only you."  ~  John Powell, S.J.

Until next time....