Generation X refers to the demographic born between 1965 and 1980. Gen X is often described as the “latchkey generation” due to the increased rates of dual-income and single-parent households during their childhood.
I am, unashamedly, Gen X.
Too, I was a latchkey kid, a child who regularly spent time unsupervised (usually after school) because my parents were working and not yet home.
The adults in the room were confident we were all delinquents, devoid of responsibility and would not amount to anything at all. Our fashion trends were questionable, and our defiance of authority ran counter-cultural.
Then, we grew up. We became adults.
We got married, got jobs, took out mortgages, had kids, pursued professional and personal interests and… we turned out okay.
Never fear… the next generation of Millennials took our place. Born between 1981 and 1996, it became a stereotype that they were all delinquents, devoid of responsibility and wouldn’t amount to anything. Sound familiar? We not only complained about them, but we saw it fitting to blame them for many of society’s ills.
Then, guess what happened? They became adults.
They got married, had kids, got jobs, took out a mortgage…and you know what? They turned out okay too.
Now, much is being said of Gen Z. And, we’ve heard it all before. In the end, age and experience, they change our fundamental perspective of the world. We grow up. We become responsible. We do hard things. We strive. We make something of ourselves.
Ultimately, we have to go through our own experiences to gain our current understanding. These experiences, these trials, these storms, add up to form a life.
I’m now a husband and father of 3 kids. I co-founded a business 24 years ago. I’ve hired people. I’ve fired people. I’ve lost friends to accidents, cancer, ego, and indifferent cycles of life.
The foundation of my understanding of the world is formulated by who I am, what I’ve experienced, who I’ve surrounded myself with, and what I focus on. And, my life continues to build on itself. 20 years from now, these experiences will compound, the people I surround myself with will ebb and flow, what I focus on may shift. What happens between now and then will enable a better understanding of this thing we call life.
That process is always in motion, but should never be rushed. We can’t force it beyond the borders of the stage we’re in. Everything happens in its due season.
Generations come and go. While we’re here, let’s make our lives matter.
Let’s make it count.
Let’s thrive in this season, and enjoy the journey.
Once this season is gone, it’s gone forever. But the experience within will make us who we are.
Embrace it.
Enjoy it.
And live on purpose today.
