About The Midpoint

Post 308:

            Beginnings can be tough. Endings generally suck. Two truths I hold close to my bosom. Now, don’t get all bunched—there’s exceptions. The start of a relationship can be awesome, all hearty and head-in-the-clouds smittenness.

            I just made up the word smittenness.

            Sometimes there just aren’t enough words. Don’t let that stop you.

            Endings can be good, too. For instance, the cessation of a root canal is definitely one for the win column. Things like that.

            A guy can drive himself crazy providing all these caveats to his obviously poignant and spot-on axioms.

            Anyway…

            So now that I’ve got the start and the finish all figured out, I’m wondering about the midpoint. Perhaps it’s dawning on me because I’m right in the middle of two novels and, more likely, I’m right in the middle of life.

            That’s if I’m lucky and continue to look both ways before crossing.

            Not sure what to think about midway. Perhaps it’s best not to think too much about it when you’re caught up—likely to get bogged down in the mire and all that.

            Midway is supposed to be your prime. You’re pretty world-wise, still fairly young. It’s all for the taking.

            But it can be disquieting. If you’re at the midpoint and you’re not the person you think you should be, the first instinct is to sometimes fall into despair. Totally natural, totally understandable, and totally doable.

            That’s right. I said it.

            If somebody’s been giving it a real go and they’re coming up with snake eyes, I’m not going to be the one rapping them on the knuckles. Seems a bit cruel.

            Then again, despair isn’t all that useful. That is, it doesn’t have a lot of utility in the real world. It has plenty of utility in one’s inner world, but let’s be honest, none of us are that important or interesting.

             I know. I should do regular pep talks and inspirational speeches.

            Actually, I should. The term nothing ventured nothing gained is something I’ve always tried to live by. Thing is, plenty of venturing, not a lot of gaining.

            And I’m at that cursed midpoint. What now? Despair? Maybe here and there, when I forget to do the laundry and have to wear socks with worn out elastic. Other than that, I shall soldier on. There’s an ending to get to, and I know I said they suck, but what if this happens to be one of the exceptions? Best I pull up my socks and find out.

            Cheers. See you after.