This feeling is coined as ‘Middle Child Syndrome’. I, amongst millions of middle children around the globe, feel left out from the rest of our family. From these differences, I had already begun to feel ostracized from my family. I found gaming to be a waste of time, sports to be uninteresting, and wanted to pursue law or political science. Meanwhile, I, on the other hand, was always quieter and more studious. They enjoyed gaming, were in their school’s band, watched sports, swam, and wanted to pursue business in the future. My two brothers were always more athletically inclined, louder, and they shared many interests. It may sound cheesy, but I differed from my brothers drastically. To my parents, my older brother would always be their first child, and my younger brother would always be their last child. My younger brother was small, adorable, filled with energy, and despite his age, was always seen as the baby of our family. My older brother was tall, somewhat responsible, mature, and always achieving the next milestone in his life, approaching closer and closer to adulthood. Growing up, I’ve always been sandwiched between my older brother, the first born, and my younger brother, the baby. Of course, I quickly got over it because I was frankly used to it. A weight sank in my stomach at the clear disparity between my grandma’s comments on my older and younger brother and her comments, or lack thereof, to me. As it got to my turn, my grandma hugged me like my brothers but said “Happy New Year” to us all and left to attend to her cooking. My little brother went next, as she bent down to hug him too, demanding a kiss on her cheek which he reluctantly gave, she observed how cute my little brother was and how precious it was that he was still in his golden child years. As her arms wrapped around him almost protectively, she stepped back and remarked about how tall he had grown, how responsible he was getting, and how proud she was that he was maturing into a young man. As we approached my grandma, my brothers and I each waited for our turn to greet her. Customary to Confucian principles, my brothers and I made rounds to our relatives, greeting each family member with a “Happy New Year” and polite conversation. It had been a whole year since we last had a family gathering, and most of us had changed quite a bit. Individually, each conversation wasn’t loud, but when their harmonies meshed together, the unforgettable sonata of Chinese family gatherings grew comfortable in my ears. It was not the type of Sunday morning quiet chatter you might hear at a cafe, or the rambunctious yelling at a party, but the sound of overlapping conversations. As my arm swung the door outwards, noise suddenly flooded my ear drums. My fingers gripped the cold metal as my hand turned the doorknob. Microsoft co-founder, philanthropist, and middle child Bill Gates wrote his first computer program as a teenager. Jan and Marcia Brady's rivalry wasn't just good on-screen chemistry the two actresses didn't have a good relationship during filming, and today they're still not on speaking terms. That guest: Steve Urkel, the bespectacled neighbor from Family Matters. When Full House’s middle daughter, Stephanie Tanner, feels self-conscious about wearing her new glasses, a guest star from another popular TGIF sitcom stops by to cheer her up and give her a lesson in self-confidence. Think Malcolm Wilkerson, Michael Bluth, and Lisa Simpson. In pop culture, middle children are often portrayed as the level-headed, responsible ones who quietly keep their siblings out of trouble. We see middle children as the peacemakers
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