There are a few constants that are “All American” in the world most of us grew up in. They are Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet (or in my case, Ford…). So, grabbing the Baseball theme, here’s the thinking for the symbolism of a Center Fielder:
Most of us have, at some point, stepped onto a ball field for baseball, softball, kickball, or some variation. We know the field.
I played baseball for a lot of years. I was mostly a center fielder, because I could quickly shift to help cover left-center or right-center, and I had an arm to get the ball anywhere on the field.
As an outfielder, it wasn’t just sitting there waiting for the occasional fly ball. It was watching a batter step up to the plate, and then looking for which box they started in, left side or right side. It was looking at their stance, position, swing timing, swing angle, and swing power. All those factors instantly made our defense adjust – especially in the outfield. Needless to say, center field saw a lot of action because we could shift slightly off center to get the job done. And we did.
I see batters on the ball field the same way I see issues in politics. Based on where they start (stepping up to the plate) and how they evolve (hit the ball), their predicted outcome that allows us to work with them to find agreement (where the ball goes in the outfield) isn’t going to happen if they hit deep right or deep left. It will happen if they aim for our center field. That ball we’ll catch.
If we collectively want to find different symbols and references that keep up in the same center zone, let’s do that. Otherwise, I still have gloves, bats, balls (pun… maybe intended), and a Ford truck… Oh, and a lot of grass (not the kind I grew up around in Boulder).
-John