Behold the masses in the middle, away from the edges, away from danger. The middle is where most people choose to be. The middle is safe. The middle is secure. The middle is comfortable. Most people follow the program. They do whatever it is that we’re supposed to do. They abide by the rules. They do what’s expected of them. They agree with each other, even if they don’t. They don’t make waves. But I, for one, choose to remain on the fringes. I’m not interested in following the program. I want to make some waves. The reality is that the choice was initially made for me. I was relegated to the fringes because of a case of life altering shyness from which I’ve yet to fully recover. But now, well, it is a choice. The shyness put me on the outside. The shyness put me on the fringes. But while I was there, I discovered that it’s really the place to be. I say it’s a choice now, but that probably isn’t actually true. I guess what I really mean is that I’m comfortable on the fringes now. I don’t think anyone really chooses to kind of dance to the beat of their own drummer. It just happens. Some of us just can’t be satisfied with the status quo sort of life. Those who are in the middle don’t really seek for any higher meaning. They’re satisfied with the typical trappings and comforts of life. They don’t need anything more. I do need more. I need meaning. I need answers. I need accomplishment. I need to make a difference. I need to make my mark somehow. For the record, I don’t think most of us really get to choose which group we’re in. I’ve already explained my case. But the reality is that those who are part of the masses in the middle for the most part had no real say in the matter. Circumstances simply aligned in a certain way and there they are. Because of this, I’m not really critical of those who are in the middle. I’m simply stating what I believe to be a fact of our existence. I like where I’m at and it’s fine if everyone else does as well. It’s interesting because it seems as if only those who aren’t comfortable in this life, for whatever reason, seek for something else. For instance, the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten of society by nature seek something else. Their lives aren’t good and they seek to improve them. Sure, they may seek to be a part of the masses in the middle, but very often they don’t. A different perspective comes from being on the outside looking in. Once there, some don’t want to come back. It seems to me that being too comfortable in this life has the tendency to blind one to the truth. Those of us on the edges somehow tend to see things that others don’t. This isn’t a boast, it’s simply an observation. Because of this, those of us who find ourselves on the fringes tend to start to like it there. It kind of feels good to see these things that others don’t see. But it’s also quite frustrating at the same time. I was once somewhat religious. But even then, I seemed to dwell on the fringes of traditional Christianity. I was seeing things in scripture that were either missed or ignored by that majority of Christians. Even the big time ministers weren’t and still aren’t teaching some very basic concepts found in the bible. These aren’t even deep and hard to decipher concepts. These are things that anyone simply reading scripture ought to be able to see. But somehow the majority of Christians live their whole lives being ignorant of some basic tenets of the very faith they profess. Speaking of scripture, it turns out that this concept of people who dwell on the fringes is found in the bible. Scripture speaks of the downtrodden of society. Those who are on the fringes are the ones the most in need of help. They are the ones Christians should be embracing. They are the ones hungry for hope. They are the ones who Christ, according to the bible, ate with and ministered to the most. Christians are called to love the worst of sinners, those on the outermost fringes of society. Those on the fringes are the ones most likely to look for spiritual answers. The bible says that they are the ones most likely to be saved. Putting aside the Christian side of it, there is still a concept here that’s important. I guess the best way to put it is that those who are the least at home in this world are far more likely to see this world for what it is. This world isn’t a very nice place. They seek something outside of here. They look for answers as to why things are the way they are. They seek to see the bigger picture. We look for something to transcend this existence. But those who are comfortable in this world have little reason to look any deeper. Things are great for them so why worry about these greater questions? Is there something wrong with the great masses in the middle? I wouldn’t go that far. And I also would not be so bold as to assert that these statements I’ve made here apply absolutely to everyone in the particular group. How would we define it that precisely anyway? Some may appear to be a fully functioning and happy member of society but are in reality, for whatever reason, on the fringes. And it’s also true that some that I would classify as being on the fringes don’t seek answers to the greater questions of our existence at all.  In fact, to most, I would appear to be a part of the masses in the middle. That may be true until you start to see what I believe about certain things. I often find myself all alone in the things I believe. Or many times I’m caught between two competing views. I find myself many times wondering what the hell is going on. Why does it seem as if so many people just cannot grasp what I know to be the truth? Why does it seem as if so many people are just totally brainwashed or brain dead and just along for the ride? This applies to so many things. I know I’m most likely not right about everything, but I know I am about much of it, at least I hope I am. I guess there’s always the chance that I’m the one who’s deluded. A perfect example of this is all the excitement over the Donald Trump candidacy for President. It’s just so obvious how bad this is for the country on so many levels that it just isn’t funny. His chief campaign tactic seems to be to just go around insulting everyone in sight. He insults other candidates. He insults countries. But his followers seem to think that this is some sort of virtue. It’s not. I feel as if we live in some sort of bizarro world where up is down and black is white. It’s just surreal. Conservatives are better than this. Americans are better than this. That’s a really particular example. But that’s not the extent of the disconnect I often feel. The writing is an outlet for me. There are so many times where I just keep my mouth shut because my views are so different from the conventional thought on most issues. I find myself neither liberal nor conservative. I’m not a tree hugging environmentalist but I’m also not a climate change denier. I’m not a confederate flag waving yahoo, but I’m not exactly a civil rights activist either. No matter what the issue, I never seem to quite fit in with either side. I always seem to feel that they are both somewhat in error. The funny thing is that I tend to think that the truth on most issues is somewhere in the middle between two extremes. In this case, the masses in the middle concept doesn’t work. Only those on the fringes seem to understand that the truth is in the middle. What the masses do is align themselves with one particular side or the other. Those in the mainstream feel pressure to conform to whatever group they are supposed to align with. Those of us on the fringes don’t feel that need. Or, we may feel it, but we feel that truth is more important than fitting in. What does this all mean? I don’t really know. I’m not so sure one can choose which group to belong to. I really don’t think I could conform to the side I’m supposed to be on. I can’t get onboard with a loon such as Trump. But there is no way in hell that Hillary or Bernie are in the truth either. I agree with many that the system is totally screwed up. But no politician is the solution. The solution is only found in each and every one of us. What I work for is to hopefully enlighten at least a few to this concept. Step back a little and start thinking for yourself. Stop running with the crowd. Stop worrying about fitting in. Many, I’m sure, would find that they don’t fit in all that well anyway. Embrace the idea of being different. The truth is that it’s fine on the fringes. And it’s really not that lonely out here anymore. Because of the internet, we have a way of connecting with one another now. We can belong, while not belonging. We can be a part of something, without being a part of the great masses in the middle. Be comfortable on the fringes. It’s really the place to be.