Middle of the Road

More of this, less of that — My Sunday Best #43

This morning, I took Dennis for a walk. He just turned one—no longer a puppy, but more like a teenager who has decided that he knows more about things than I do. He likes to walk down the middle of the dirt road, prancing with his head held high and ears perked as if he were walking down the red carpet, making a grand entrance. “Hello trees, hello world! Good Morning!”

I guess he does have a few things to show me. It’s fun walking down the middle of the road. It’s as if the whole world is wide open, filled with possibilities and options. Fortunately, not a single car passed us, so we didn’t have to ver off to the side.

As we walked, I thought about how good it felt to be in the middle. The middle is solid—the flattest part of the road. When I get closer to the edges, the road starts to crumble. It chips off into pieces, and I must be careful how and where I step. It’s a beautiful analogy of life. The middle is the source, the center—the place where strength and ease can be found.

There’s something comforting about this time of year, the days between holidays, as one calendar year winds down before I turn the page to January—the time before all the things that will come next.

A few years ago, I met a man in a small coffee shop in North Carolina. He was maybe in his 70s and wore a tie-die Grateful Dead t-shirt. He had all the time in the world to visit with a few out-of-towners—he owned the place. He said he used to follow the Grateful Dead from city to city and lived life on the edge in more ways than one. After he told us a few wild stories about his past, he paused and said, “These days, I like being in the middle.” His words struck me, and suddenly, a new song was tapping me on the shoulder. I titled it “In the Middle.”

Once upon a time, back when I thought writing a hit song mattered, a friend played it for a publisher in Nashville. The publisher said nobody wanted to hear a song about being in the middle. He said people wanted songs about living on the edge. “That’s a different song,” I replied.

I never recorded it, and since then, the song has evolved. When I looked at it again this morning I changed a few words. Usually, I try to finish songs so I can move on. However, this song has been perfectly happy simmering on the back burner for years now.

This brings me to my New Year’s Resolutions, which is what I had intended to write about when I started. It’s pretty simple—more of this and less of that. More of things that light me up and less of things that don’t. At the top of my list—sing, dance, laugh, and love…oh, and paint.

In the Middle

I’ll take a coffee please, a medium cup

A teaspoon of honey will be just enough

I don’t need to speed things up

I want to slow it all down

Take a few steps back

And stand on some solid ground

I’ve been pushing the limits, wearing myself thin

Overspending, under-sleeping, eating dinner at ten

Taking the long way home

Feeling my way

To the source of love

That’s been here all along

I want to stay in the middle today away from the edge

Where I don’t have to watch my step

and can finally let out my breath

Where I want what I already have

And I am more than enough

For me

I want to stay in the middle

Right here in the middle

I want to stay in the middle today

I’ve been living on the edge of something better

Hanging on tight to get to the other side

Where the grass grows greener

And dreams come true

but I’m already there

And you’re here too

I’m not saying I don’t want to reach for the stars

Take a leap of faith, or light up the world with a song

But today I want to feel the earth beneath my feet

And feel the peace and love in this moment between

Here’s a little clip of what it sounds like 😊