Generation X – Mid-life reflections

[Supersonic Scientist]

Born in '58: Technically a boomer but I don't identify - I regard people born from (roughly) '56 to '63 as a sort of "lost generation," neither Boomer (we were too late for the seminal Boomer experiences) nor, really, GenX. I think of us as the No Wavers, who pretty much created the original punk culture.

So for example, I kind-of remember the death of JFK, but it didn't have much emotional impact on me. RFK did, but MLK really didn't until after the fact. And I had no idea who Malcolm X was when he was shot.

I came to political consciousness during the Nixon years, and, believe me, that has a definite impact on how I think and vote to this day. For example: though a fairly solid Democrat, I will never, ever vote for Diane Feinstein for any office; she's too thoroughly covered with Nixon-style slime, and has been since she was mayor of San Francisco. Nixon, of course, left me cynical about politicians, but with a greater faith in the basic system of the Constitution - after all, it worked to get him out of office, if a little too slowly. I assume this to be basically true about all my cohorts in the '56-'63 range.

Many of the cultural touchstones of the real Boomers are alien to me. I never saw Howdy Doody or Uncle Miltie; my formative television moments are STAR TREK and LOST IN SPACE and the surrealism of Sid and Marty Krofft. Elvis was basically a fat old geek to me (though I've since come to like some of his music) and the Beatles, while I like *them*, were pretty much irrelevant to me by the time my core musical tastes were formed. I grew up, not with "rock and roll" but with the incredibly broad palette of AM music radio that existed in the late '60s and early '70s, a time when soul, rock, heavy rock, (some) prog, reggae, classic pop, and country were all played on the same station. My first vote was cast in the election between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.

And I won't be retiring for at least another ten years.

Also born in '58.
Agree about the "lost center" of the Baby Boomer gen. too young for Woodstock but too old for Punk (my musical sweet spot is '66 (birth of the Monkees) up to '79 (End of Prog: Mark I))

Politically, I've been a REP all of my life (sometimes it's easy to be one...sometimes, not-so-much)

Mid-life:.....past that chronologically, but health-wise, doing pretty well. The Wife and I are in the midst of buying our retirement home and it's really weird to think that this might be the last place we live until death or nursing home comes-a-knocking.

Call me a "Brady Bunch" generation kid.

[nosebone]

Tweener , born 1962

Full blown 70s kid

[MudShark22]

Born at the start of '70. Many excellent point in this thread.

I have always treated my Generation as analogous to Prince Charles - i.e. we will not get to 'rule' as our parents are still around making the decisions and our kids will directly inherit what's left if anything.

[yamishogun]

Born at the start of '70. Many excellent point in this thread.

I have always treated my Generation as analogous to Prince Charles - i.e. we will not get to 'rule' as our parents are still around making the decisions and our kids will directly inherit what's left if anything.

But as a consolation prize, Gen Xers will be far healthier in their 60s, in the 2030s, than baby boomers are today.

[MudShark22]

I've told my kids that they need to prevent Boomers and Gen X-ers from being their political nominees from whatever party from now on, by any legal means necessary. Find another way, party, person...take your $10 / $20 donation and pledge it to someone from their generation.

My parents and my peers should not be making decisions that shape the world for decades beyond we're gonna be alive for.

Apologies for the slightly political bent, but its really the thing that pisses me off most about boomers...give up the fucking reins already / end rant [emoji3]

[moecurlythanu]

#yawn

[SteveSly]

Tweener , born 1962

Full blown 70s kid

Same here. I was born in 61 and don’t really relate to a lot of the baby boomers stuff that we are supposed to be credited for. Although today I look at the 60’s as the most important decade in my lifetime I was really too young to experience any of it or know what all was going on at the time. Other than the moon landing and seeing coverage of Vietnam on TV my memories are pretty vague of that time period. I did not get into music until I was in my late teens, so the Beatles passed me by completely (of course I “discovered” them later). I also was totally unaware of prog’s golden era until after it was already over and done with. But....I am also definitely not generation X either.

[Rune Blackwings]

I've told my kids that they need to prevent Boomers and Gen X-ers from being their political nominees from whatever party from now on, by any legal means necessary. Find another way, party, person...take your $10 / $20 donation and pledge it to someone from their generation.

My parents and my peers should not be making decisions that shape the world for decades beyond we're gonna be alive for.

Apologies for the slightly political bent, but its really the thing that pisses me off most about boomers...give up the fucking reins already / end rant [emoji3]

by your argument, the only people who should run for leadership positions are 5 year olds

[ronmac]

You want to fuck yourself with a rake?? Odd...will probably hurt...but to each his own...


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[Vic2012]

Eeeesshh sounds painful. Fucking one's self with a rake......

[Duncan Glenday]

Talk politics or get aggressive and we close the thread.

FFS, you know this.

Feel free to delete your own offensive posts. We'll wait...

[spellbound]

I've told my kids that they need to prevent Boomers and Gen X-ers from being their political nominees from whatever party from now on, by any legal means necessary. Find another way, party, person...take your $10 / $20 donation and pledge it to someone from their generation.

My parents and my peers should not be making decisions that shape the world for decades beyond we're gonna be alive for.

Apologies for the slightly political bent, but its really the thing that pisses me off most about boomers...give up the fucking reins already / end rant

You are generalizing, and taking it all personally. I prefer to see people as individuals. Not all Baby Boomers (I am one) are dead set on making your life miserable. Many of us are not at all like the politicians from our generation. They don't speak for us, and they don't speak for you. Most politicians think only of themselves. 'Twas ever thus. I was born in a desert and raised in a lion's den, during the Eisenhower administration. I can see, when I talk to people, that they are older or younger than me. I seldom see them by any named generation, merely as older or younger or about the same age as myself. I don't blame them for all that has been done by their generation, nor for the stereotypes of their generation. I have heard that Gen X'ers and Millennials are slackers. But I have known people of both those generations to be conscientious, hard working people like myself. I have also seen some who never look above the nose they have to their smart phone screen. I try not to judge them. They are young. Good may yet come of them. And by "good" I mean actual good, not merely agreeing with my point of view. Not everyone has to agree with me, but we are all in this together. When I was their age, I thought I knew everything. Later, I learned that was not so. Now that I am older and do know everything, I am not quick to judge those who are at the age when I thought I knew it all. If you perceive that people older than you are making decisions affecting your generation and those younger than you, then by all means work to change that. But please change it for the better, and please do not reject the thoughts of all those older than you. Many of the greatest lessons I have learned in my life came from members of older generations. If you are lucky enough to have living parents and grandparents, by all means, listen to them. They know more than you can possibly imagine. It's OK to disagree with them politically. But please don't consign their knowledge to the garbage bin unheard. You may live to regret it. My father, who was more conservative than I, once told me something that has always rung true: "It is the function of government to spend money. Whether it is "tax and spend" liberalism or "borrow and spend" conservatism, spending is still taking place." Follow the money. Care about others or care only about yourself. Make your own choice. Just think first. And know that just because two political parties tell you we can only have two political parties, it ain't necessarily so.

[notallwhowander]

To bring it back around to generational angst: it's only recently that I've feel that I've actually "arrived," knowing who I am and what I'm about. Really this has as much to do with personal confidence in functioning in the labor market than anything else. Barring any strokes of misfortune, I think I have found my niche, and can work it for a reasonable, if modest, amount of remuneration. I can only imagine what this meant to the Boomers who found this, in large number, in their twenties. I won't say that my case is one typical of my generation. I'm sure many found their feet faster than I. My case was one of seasons of financial viability interspersed with many seasons of uncertainty.

My wife and I are only beginning to go through all of our stuff and systematically getting rid of things. We have stuff in boxes that go back to the beginning of our adult lives. The uncertainty of being able to buy something like it again, mixed with the uncertainty of what we would become, and a natural sense of sentimentality, means we've held on to a lot of crap, too much really for our living space. We wouldn't feature on an episode of Hoarders or anything, but we lived with the "comfortably cluttered" thing for a long time. We are finally letting go of the material of our past selves, and more importantly the material accumulated for our old future, possible selves that never came to be. It's only this rather recent confidence that makes this possible.

Tonight I go though my denim jeans. I don't have much use for them except on the weekends now. So that means I could actually, meaningfully use what? Four pair? Time for things to go...

[Rune Blackwings]

Talk politics or get aggressive and we close the thread.

FFS, you know this.

Feel free to delete your own offensive posts. We'll wait...

My bad! I thought he had said something else and I thought it very odd, but I reopened it in Chrome instead of Edge and noticed the error of my ways.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Talk politics or get aggressive and we close the thread.

FFS, you know this.

Feel free to delete your own offensive posts. We'll wait...

Done.

[Duncan Glenday]

[Mr. Toad]

Everything we choose in our life is for a reason. The people we are today is because of the choices we have made. What we want to accomplish starting this moment is our today and our future. It is up to us how we want to live the rest of our lives. Please have hope that this is just the beginning of a great time in your life....

Thank you. This ol' fool needed to see that. It is true and to the point. I have made one bad decision in my life and I have not tried hard enough to get over it and get on with Life. Guess I better get started.

Thanks again...

[lak611]

Thank you. This ol' fool needed to see that. It is true and to the point. I have made one bad decision in my life and I have not tried hard enough to get over it and get on with Life. Guess I better get started.

Thanks again...

I second this. I'm busy getting my health taken care of now, and I'll be doing the other things I need to do so the rest of my life will be better.

Best wishes to you. 😊

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