Is This Thing On? Check? Check? 1, 2, 3? Sibilance.

Aside Posted on May 31, 2022

Well…

I managed to “avoid” blogging throughout the entire COVID-19 quarantine and lockdown(s) to date. Still, Caitlin Abber’s article comparing and contrasting GenX, Millennials, and GenZ caught my eye, so I figured I would at least post it.

Will it will be the impetus I need to start blogging again? Who knows? To be perfectly honest, I can’t say I’ve missed my blog. It had become just another item on my weekly To-Do List that kept getting “postponed” and “rescheduled.” I think I’ll strive for a biweekly post and go from there.

To better understand Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z, taking a look at their upbringings, personal style, and how they feel about each other offers a list of differing attitudes and behaviors attributed to each generation. What struck me was that she actually included GenX (my people!) in the list. Usually, we are an afterthought once someone notices that GenX was left out. However, in true GenX fashion, we always see whether or not we are included. We just don’t vocalize it, preferring to observe from a safe distance away from the drama…er…action.

This was most clearly demonstrated during the lockdowns – where GenX continued to thrive as our latchkey kid skills, honed in childhood, served us to navigate the isolation created thereby. For months, we read social media posts from family and friends (of other generations) struggling with being “stuck at home” while we took it in stride. I absolutely loved it, for the most part. No more awkward small talk with coworkers about inane subjects. No more “creating work” to “look busy” at work. I could just work, be done with it, take naps, snuggle with my dogs, binge watch shows and movies, bake bread, cook from scratch and do nothing if the spirit moved me.

Unfortunately, bigotry in all its forms refused to take a break and we’ve had a front-row seat to the ugliness humans can inflict on one another in the name of our “I got mine, screw you _________ (input name of marginalized community)” society. My concern for our American experiment has grown exponentially and I fear that reactionary forces have damaged our institutions in deeper ways than we can imagine.

My sincerest hope is that Millennials and GenZ really step into their light, organize, and vote in unheard-of numbers – at least in big enough numbers to offset the votes of Baby Boomers. Millennials and GenZ might be able to save us from ourselves.