(Generation)'X' Will Mark the Spot Again in 2005

yahoo ^ | 12/14/04 | Ann Fishman

[GOP_1900AD]

I am technically by broad brush stroke a boomer and by a more recent definition a Joneser (like you, born in '62). However, my parents were Silents who were wannabe boomers and largely lived like boomers. I was a latch key kid from age 10 onward. I am, predictably, far to the right of my parents politically, and, by my own judgement, am better grounded, more realistic and more positive than especially my dad, who still, I #@!#@ you not, still wears the peace medallion he picked up at an anti war march back in '70!

[GOP_1900AD]

My great awakening really kicked in when I reached my late 20s. That's when I left the entitlement mentality (instilled by my parents) behind forever. And that led me to the right politically ....

[GOP_1900AD]

RE: The older people I know play some of the political games where as people in my age range are not into playing political games.

Having gotten everything and more growing up, having gotten jobs and pay beyond true capability, moral fiber and maturity and having used debt financing to live in a manner that only the truly rich could afford a mere 40 years ago, the core of the boomers are masters of doing *whatever it takes* to keep their houses of cards from falling down. In the workplace, this manifests itself in a clannishness that in some cases, overtly excludes more capable individuals who are as little as 10 years younger from the clique. Mind you, the clique is a two way street, for one must be comfortable with a certain level of moral relatavism and an unhealthily "bohemiam" world view, in order to socially participate in the clique. We, Xers, are in truth substantially more prudish than the clique. Rather than joining the clique, my strategy is to wait them out.

[GOP_1900AD]

Sounds familiar!

[GOP_1900AD]

Bingo!

[GOP_1900AD]

Our time truly begins in 10 years. We have been the masters of delayed gratification. The yawning maw of the boomers who we are in the wake of has ensured this. We've always had more difficult conditions and it has hardened us, while humbling us at the same time. When we reach our key earning years as 40 or early 50 somethings, we will do so with a grace unseen in Western Civilization for at least 40 years, maybe longer. You know, I was thinking about how my family lives. Sure we have modern technology and are very techno literate, etc. However, we barely watch any TV, are always doing something, reading or playing musical instruments, are very non sedentary and don't *need* to be entertained. Then it dawned on me, we have more in common with 19th century people (or maybe even *earlier* ones) than with 20th century people. Boomers are the epitome of the 20th century.

[Splatter]

I said this before but it applies to this discussion. I wrote it about todays teens, X'ers kids, and how they are not as bad as many make them out to be.

---

Lets say for the sake of argument that most kids rebel against authority figures. OK, how does a kid rebel against lazy parents and a society that don't care?

"Johnny, what are you rebelling against?"

The point is that, with any luck, social rebellion has come round full circle.

A theory of mine: Hippie parents have socialist kids, socialist parents have communist kids and communist parents have anarchist kids. Extremism breeds the next step. It seems we are at the end of the tracks for the liberal loco.

[qam1]

X-er's are in charge now....

I wish it were true, But all we have right now is a few house members, One governor and depending on your definition of Gen-X maybe one senator (John Sununu born September 10, 1964). Unfortunately it looks like a long time before the baby boomer pig moves through the python

[CORedneck]

I may not do the things of "keeping up with the Jones" but I don't have to deal with a "deck of cards" such as being in heavy debt. House, cars except one is all paid off and no credit card debt. Downside, Corporate people do credit checks as a part of their decision to hire you and since I am debt free, they would know I can tell them to "shove it" in dishonor of Tereza HK since I am "not one paycheck" away from the house deck of cards falling apart.

One place I worked at was for 8 months. I got fired after that period of time. The manager I answered to was definitely a boomer. He was very upfront and mentioned one of the reasons I was being fired was my refusal to play political games (read, not willing to kiss @$$). Last I heard, he is working in executive row in another large corporation. In the company where I worked at, they filed for bankruptcy back in 2002, they expected their people to work 60 hour weeks especially on weekends. I did not play that game. That p*ssed him off.

RE: The older people I know play some of the political games where as people in my age range are not into playing political games.

Having gotten everything and more growing up, having gotten jobs and pay beyond true capability, moral fiber and maturity and having used debt financing to live in a manner that only the truly rich could afford a mere 40 years ago, the core of the boomers are masters of doing *whatever it takes* to keep their houses of cards from falling down. In the workplace, this manifests itself in a clannishness that in some cases, overtly excludes more capable individuals who are as little as 10 years younger from the clique. Mind you, the clique is a two way street, for one must be comfortable with a certain level of moral relativism and an unhealthily "Bohemian" world view, in order to socially participate in the clique. We, Xers, are in truth substantially more prudish than the clique. Rather than joining the clique, my strategy is to wait them out.

[Chrysler813]

You are Generation X (1962 - 1981)

The Baby Booomers were origionally 1962 - 1981 but the media changed it to 1965. Now it's back to 1962.

The media dose this to make Bush look bad. Many people think Bush is responsible for Social Security going broke.

By making Generation X look smaller & the Baby BOomers look bigger it means less people are supporting more retirees.

They're doing the same thing on the other end of generation X. They're trying to push the ending date from 1981 to 1972. 1965 - 1972 (which the media wants us to believe is Generation X) is only 17 million Americans trying to support what they claim is 81 million Boomer retirees.

The real dates are...

Baby Boomers: 1946 - 1961 63 million Americans
Generation X: 1962 - 1981 70 million Americans
Generation Y: 1982 - 2001 76 million Americans

It's frusterating cause the media trys to change the dates. It took me A YEAR to find the real dates.

Not only that the media can't agree on what year they want to use. I've heard every year from '58 - '70 for Generation X's start and every year from '68 - '89 for it's end!!!

Hope I answered your ?

Kurt Baginski

P.S. you can check out my webpage, filled with information from a trustworthy source...

www.geocities.com/chrysler813/Generations.html

[Chrysler813]

You're right, 21 is NOT Generation X

2 - 22 Generation Y
22 - 42 Generation X
42 - 58 Baby Boomers

Kurt Baginski

[Chrysler813]

That page was great but it didn't give a defination of Geneartion X. I saw...

1961 - 1981
1965 - 1975
1965 - 1979
1964 - 1982
1960 - 1970
1966 - 1977
1970 - 1983
1976 - 1981

...all on the same page!!!

I spent a year researching this & it's 1962 - 1981.

Kurt Baginski

[Chrysler813]

Well I like 80s rock so I guess that makes me an Xer

I've always known I'm an Xer I've always had more in common with people born in the 60s then my own decade. I was born in 1981 & allthougth some of the Liberal media in this country tries to call me Gen Y, I know I'm X

By the way if you want the real dates (that it took me a YEAR 2 research) it's 1962 - 1981.

Kurt Baginski

[Chrysler813]

You're right!!!

I'm a fellow 1981er (August) & I've always known I'm Generation X.

I take it as an insult when someone calls me Generation Y. That generation dosn't remember Johnny Carson or Ronald Regan. They either don't remember the 80s (the BEST decade the Lord God made!!!) or they wern't born yet!!! They don't know life without computers, cell phones, mini vans, cable TV (althougth some of those things came out before 1981 they didn't become popular till the after we were old enough 2 remember)

I spent a year researching this stuff & it's

Generation X: 1962 - 1981
Generation Y: 1982 - 2001

Thank you 4 your time

Kurt Baginski

[Chrysler813]

You're right!!!

Some of us are in their 40s!!!

It's 1962 - 1981 which would make us 23 - 42

Kurt Baginski

[Disambiguator]

Thanks for the info. I like to think that I can't be that easily pigeonholed, anyway, so this is just an academic exercise.

I still think that the Quisp/Quake question is the defining issue. If you know what that is, you're a boomer. If not, Xer.