I recently got into a very short, peripheral conversation with my mom about how “my generation” needs to “do” something about what is going on in the world today. She wasn’t being negative or anything like that; she was simply wondering why people my age aren’t protesting what is happening in politics and world events. Basically implying that her generation made their statements in their era. Whether that was in the form of protesting against Vietnam, advancing the sexual revolution, and Woodstock types of celebrations. I guess that was how they dealt with the calamities of the world at the time.
I don’t think that there is anything wrong with what they did. That time in our country’s history was full of turmoil, ie. Civil rights, women’s liberation, abortion, Vietnam, political assassinations…it was a crazy time as I’m sure most of you are aware.
So back to the question, “Why doesn’t ‘My Generation’ (be it X or Y or what ever it is called) DO something about what is happening today? Why don’t we rally? Why don’t we raise our voices against what is happening? Why don’t we DO something?
I only have this as an answer: We don’t want to get involved.
It was our grandparents that created you, the “Baby Boomers.” They fought in The War and then replenished the world. They lived through the depression, mass poverty, World Wars. They were safe and conservative and scared. They built The Bomb. It was about protection…domination.
Your generation revolted against the “Golden Generation”, changed society, made life more “free.” ‘I’ll do what I want, when I want, how I want. It’s my body!’ You saw the lives your parents lived and decided that it wasn’t good enough for you. You wanted more of everything. Capitalism was your rocket ship; greed and avarice the potent fuel. Blast off!
You begat us and didn’t know what to do with us. So you called us “X” and “Y.” The fact that we were born was something of a miracle really. How could such a selfish, aspiring generation have time to raise a family? You didn’t.
A lot of you couldn’t do what your parents did and stay married, couldn’t commit and be devout. You wanted to be independent, so you either split up or you both worked. We grew up in broken homes; hearing you complain because you feel like you have to visit your parents or how inconvenienced you are that they are coming to stay with you for a few days. You put them in home so this wouldn’t happen! All the while we were growing up by ourselves…with 2 TVs and Nintendo.
We grew up watching TV programs you made for us. We were corrupted by the need to have a Cabbage Patch Kid; you made us into Super Models, Pop Icons, put us on MTV and sold us so you could make more money. TV shows aren’t made for our entertainment; they are made so you guys can sell advertising space. We grew up in a world full of capitalist aggression. More! Better! Stronger! Faster! NOW! We watched you build your corporate empires.
Now here we are…Generations X and Y…waiting, watching. What did you expect us to become? We didn’t have much to work with. We really just don’t want to get involved.
One day we will rise from obscurity and make a name for ourselves. No longer just an “X” to identify us.
