Middle Child

 I was the middle child in our family and a chance look at the Microsoft Edge newsreel this morning had a discussion on middle children. I was really in the middle, three younger and three older. It was an interesting place to be in a family. You got to watch what happened to the older ones during the course of time with regard to what they could and could not do thus warning you of transgressable offences. The younger ones sort of looked up to you because you were older but there was also the need to babysit them because the olders had busier lives than you did. But I do think if there is any place to be in the family it is the middle child. You grow up independent of people; there are already so many in your family that acquiring friends from outside is just something that I didn't do. There were plenty of people around me all the time when I lived at home. Then I got married at 20 and just never really ever reached out to make friends because you still seem to have a lot of people around you even if you are not living in the same city. 

I find also that I tend to be more readily put off by other people. When my oldest had gone off to school and I was still home trying to decide whether to return to work I went off shopping with this individual. I was assured that we would be back before the school bus but that didn't happen. It affected me the rest of my child rearing days. I never went anywhere with anyone again unless I was driving. I think that is a middle child characteristic - less trusting of outsiders. Pretty well everyone is an outsider in my world except for my close family. People did try to become closer but I just never trusted anyone again although did babysit their child/children on occasion in my own home when they asked. I can still be the good neighbour that Christ asked us to be; I just do not trust anyone to do what they say that they will do until they actually do. But I still do not make friends because of that just acquaintances.