I am a Gen-Xer and I’m proud of that fact. No one is too concerned about Gen X. We are sandwiched in between two huge, loud, stereotyped, sometimes seemingly self-absorbed generations, those being the Baby Boomers and the Millennials. Marketers and historians are much more interested in these two generations. I was on a reunion trip with some college friends a couple of years ago. A friend who works for a remodelers’ association was telling us what people were currently looking for in home features. She listed the different things that the Boomers like and how that differed from what the Millennials want in their homes.
“So, what are they saying about what our generation wants?” we all asked her.
She looked uncomfortable and stated awkwardly, “They really haven’t studied us.” In short, no one cares.
You know what, though? I used to think of us Gen-Xers as cast-off victims. We were never expected to amount to much, often being painted as aimless slackers when we were younger. And that’s okay. You know why? When there are no expectations, you have a lot of freedom. We Gen-Xers do things are own way, without the ropes of stereotypes. I’d venture to say that we are probably the most individualistic generation because no one has bothered to paint their perceptions about us too much. We have been defined, by more than one source, as independent, resourceful and self-sufficient. Perhaps the blessings of those positive qualities come from being mostly ignored.
I like to think of us Gen-Xers as the tortoise versus the hare. We’re not flashy, assuming, or entitled. We fly under the radar, and we like it that way. Have you ever watched a movie with a lot of dramatic, colorful characters going through all kinds of trials, and in that movie there is that one “Steady Eddie” character in the background? That steady character that I’m talking about is the calm in the storm; the guy who rises above the fray, just quietly doing his thing and keeping the peace. After you watch a movie like that and you think about all of the crazy antics of the high profile characters, you start really appreciating “the guy in the background doing his thing.” In fact, sometimes you realize that “that unassuming guy” was actually your favorite character in the movie. Today I give my respect to my fellow Gen-Xers. Today, I think you guys are my favorite characters in this movie called Life.