Home and health in the middle class from the perspective of a true American middle child

I wrote this in Novemeber on the day before the historic election of Barack Obama-the day I was originally inspired to create this blog.

November 3, 2008
Home and health in the middle class from the perspective of a true American middle child, mother of 5, nutritionist and public health professional who lives in Northern California.

Life in USA could change tomorrow. Will we let it? I am looking forward to changes in our homes and health, right here in the middle class and since change is hard I choose to creatively adapt, guide and cheerlead for all of us.

On this rainy November morning, the day before a historic election, I listen to my 8 year old talk about the movie, “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” He is skipping around, explaining, “I keep going back to the middle and then to another part and then the middle again.”

On and on he describes the magnetic rocks and other strange phenomena encountered by the journeyer, the adventure striking his core. While listening I am struck too, not by his story telling which goes round and round, but by his fixation with the middle. I wonder, is the middle the key to health and happiness? Barack Obama speaks to the middle class and because of this he may win the election. We defy gravity by balancing solidly in the middle. Yoga encourages a middle ground between pushing and resting, work and calm. I am a middle child and my middle child defines herself as the balancing factor in our family. So, here in the center I begin my journey to investigate life as a mother, wife, citizen and health educator in America’s middle class; a life style that hopefully grows rather than shrinks when we choose and change our countries direction and leadership tomorrow.