This and that - 202010: The middle

The middle has always been the most important position any time any where – except inside an airplane. A “middle of the road” attitude in life generally keeps one away from trouble. If the midriff is under control, one is thought to be physically fit. One just does not want to be disturbed when in the middle of something, like the tap going dry in the middle of a shower when one is all soaped up. This pandemic has further exposed the importance of middle. While you can be naked in the shower, you can’t be showing off your midriff in the middle of a broadcast. Recently, a video of a media person working from home was circulated. Nothing special about this, except that while he was in the middle of a broadcast his female colleague walked across the screen from behind him. Nothing special there too – except that she was stark naked.

In cricket when you are in the middle, you got to be middling the ball to score runs; especially when the spinners come on in the middle overs and start bowling the carrom balls using the middle finger.

In the days gone by, the “middle” in the daily newspaper was an attraction – but these days the newspaper themselves are in a midlife crisis. Though in these COVID times the middle class are missing their newspapers – especially the middle aged among them. The pandemic has stranded many travelers in the middle of nowhere. A large number of Indians stranded in the middle-east are being brought back. The middle seat in an aircraft, which most people avoided during even good times, has to be left vacant.

In the middle of this chaotic crisis, it is very clear as to who is showing the middle finger!!!!