The Generation Without a Generation: Mine

A few weeks ago there was this big long TIME magazine cover story about Millennials. The gist of the story was that yes, they are every annoying think you think they are, but they also aren't so bad and bring good things into society.

He needs a good kick in the
shins.

It seems like the same story that gets dragged out every 15 years or so about the newest generation that has a catchy name and annoying characteristics. This one loves selfies, social causes, feels entitled, has helicopter parents who gave them an inflated sense of self, is growing up in an era of instant millionaires and a case of increasing celebrity worship.

A few years ago, TIME did a piece about how Generation X was getting shafted because they were sandwiched in between the baby boomers and the millennials, and therefore their impact on society is being seen as diminished.

But what about the rest of us?

Depending on what you read and which marketing agency is spewing out the data, I, and therefore a lot of my friends, am in the middle of the generational sandwich. Not really an Xer and not a millennial either. I witnessed but really can't relate to the meaning behind the plethora of flannel and moping that seemed to define the 90s. Remember "Reality Bites"? I saw that movie a lot, but still wanted to kick Ethan Hawke in the shins for being such a dipshit with numerous jobs that he thought he was above (wait, what generation am I talking about here?). The reflex is still there and I have a fear of running into Ethan Hawke in person and just kicking his shins until he outruns me or my feet hurt. Because we know that Ethan Hawke won't have any security.

I also never got most of the music of the era. Not really a grunge fan and didn't get the hoopla around Nirvana. But I respected that it was a statement. Although other than being angst-y and whining about making a lot of money that wasn't making you happy but continuing to crank out said music to make the aforementioned money, I'm not sure what the statement was. I also know that there aren't a ton of those type of 90s-era bands that are still kicking it today.

Millennials are a different breed as well. I like social media, but I also like talking to people in person (despite what Chef might say on occasions when I check my phone too many times during dinner--it's a shitty habit, honey, I'm sorry.) I expected to start at the bottom at my job and let my hard work set me apart and move me up. Rap has lost its appeal since it lost its naughtiness and I don't think that everyone has a right to own designer shoes (although I would probably support any political candidate that had this as a platform).

So that being said, what  about us?

We are the generation without a generation and I'm not sure that's such a bad thing.