Generation X Grows Up

An interesting thing about my generation is that it was the first one given a cool name: Generation X. Popularized by Douglas Coupland in 1991, and the name of an early Billy Idol band (when he was a teenaged punk in the 70's, before becoming an MTV pop star in the 80's), it sounded bleak, nihilistic, and edgy, unlike previous generational names: Baby Boomers, Silent Generation, Greatest Generation, Lost Generation.

But what did Generation X mean? Nothing, and that was the point. After the Baby Boomers, who were so political and idealistic and FOUGHT FOR CHANGE, what was our generation expected to do? We were slackers...we "temped" while trying to figure out what we wanted to do and then while trying to find an "actual" job during a terrible recession. But it seemed no one expected much from us, and we liked that just fine.

But even Generation X had to grow up sometime. And then what? "Reality Bites," that's what. We got jobs--usually not great ones--and worked hard enough not to get fired but not so hard that we couldn't still go out five nights a week. But then we hit 30, and it was time to grow up. Previous generations grew up at 18 then 21 then 25; ours was the first that moved back in with our parents after college.

Many of us eventually got married and had kids--but a lot fewer than previous generations--and that's when things got strange. Because suddenly there we were: Adults still very much in touch with their own inner-child having to be the responsible, in-charge grownup. For many of us, it was completely foreign territory. And we didn't really have any role models to emulate. Sure, we could look to our parents for some help, but they matured much earlier than we did. Surely they never found themselves, while in a toy store looking for a child's gift, completely overcome with giddiness over all the super-awesome new toys, games, and crafts. Oh, how to leave with just ONE THING?!

As parents, we go overboard sometimes. Last fall, I bought my completely-uninterested-in-dolls toddler a babydoll that makes various goo-ing and gaa-ing sounds, noisily sucks from a bottle, then burps, falls asleep, and even snores (!!)--all because I'd always wanted but never received such a doll when I was little. My inner-toddler was begging for it, and I ended up playing with that thing more than my daughter did.

So we're trying to find our way...our OWN way. At the same time, we--Generation X, the cool, nonchalant slackers--are hitting middle-age and realizing we're no longer cool. We've become responsible (most of us) and even successful (some of us). We might still go to parties occasionally, but we generally don't "PAAARTY" anymore.

So what does that make us now? Generation X-pired?