Generation X, Y/Me and WE

I remember when I was 16, I was at Powell's Bookstore in Portland, Oregon (most amazing bookstore on earth). I spent many hours of my life there, as my parents went once a week. They always told us to pick out books, they never said no to books. Looking back, this was a pretty good parenting skill of theirs: give the gift of books. A gift that keeps on giving. I could always be found in the non-fiction section (mainly biology and medical reference), my brother in film or history, my mom in art or gardening, my dad in fiction. Keep in mind this is a BIG bookstore. They give out maps at the front door. Note: Check out the show Portlandia....a comedy about people in Portland Oregon, watch clips for a really good laugh!

Anyway, I was 16ish, and looking for books one evening. There it was. An intriguing book titled "Generation X" by Douglas Coupland. What could that be about? I picked it up, it seemed to be a book about my generation. Hmmm. I added it to my pile, my parents graciously purchased it for me, and took it home and read it. It was very interesting. In the following months, the book received a lot of press, and thus my generation was permanently labeled Generation X. The author, of course, did not coin the term, it originated in the 1950s by a photographer named Robert Capa, but that is a another story.

Generation X was all about the Berlin Wall, the Regan years, new wave music, MTV, Glam Rock, the Atari, the Nintendo, the Commodore 64, AIDS, grunge, etc. We were the beginning of technology in the home as we now know it. We were/are culturally intense. Our parents were typically loving, hard-working people. We were offspring of Vietnam parents (Baby Boomers), WWII grandparents (Silent Generation), and life was pretty plush. People had pink hair for goodness sake. But we were politically aware, pretty liberal, pro environment, anti-traditional, and trying to balance what we wanted and the world needed in our minds. It was also the beginning of the consumer madness (super-size me) and some spoiled rotten kids & the dot.com extravaganza.

The subsequent generation was labeled Generation Y, for lack of better identification. It often refers to middle class kids, parents who spoil, kids with baggy pants, self-centered, and technologically savvy. They speak their minds and know what they want. Not much substance in that round-up. It always puzzled me how there was never any "good press" about Gen Y. I call them Generation Y/Me. They want it all yet seemingly have no responsibility perceived or earned. They are currently entering the workforce. It's a self-serving generation. "Yuppie" parents who serve themselves, breed and create self-serving creatures. Maybe they will surprise me and direct their "demanding" nature and demand change in positive directions, that is if they can get their ADHD under control (I believe a side-effect of too much exposure to techno gadgets & TV).

A relative of someone I know is a good example (who shall remain nameless). He always wanted to be an extraordinary business man. After trying for many years, this dream faded and failed. He wanted to be rich. He married and had two children. He is extremely sarcastic due to his lack of dream fulfillment, his wife: detached and cold for a variety of reasons. Why they married and had children has always been a mystery to me. Their oldest, now a teenage girl, is cold, detached. Their youngest, in her early teens, is fragile and withdrawn. I see these qualities often in this generation of parents and kids. What will come of our world in the next 15 years as these kids become active in the world of adult life?

This brings me to the generation now being born. Some are simply calling babies born from 2000 on "Generation Z" or "Generation I." The current generation being born, I hope, will be generation WE. I am raising my children with the ideas and concepts that there is a bigger world out there. What can YOU contribute? WHO do you want to BE? What mark can you make? Can you help others? What is the cause and effect of your existence?

I hope to teach my children to understand the "collective unconscious" (Carl Jung's concept of cultural concepts commonly shared such as morals, science, politics, etc), and how to expand their minds past the "common" thread of thinking and into more imaginative and far-reaching thought. WE may do it this way, yet how is it done in Africa? Argentina? Sweden? What are some different way to think about "fill in the blank." Not to freak my kids out or anything, but hinting at expansive thought I think is always a good thing. For example, "How can we make "fill in the blank" better?" A thought process that does not involve TV, material/luxury goods, etc, but something with substance. Recognizing the collective unconscious, and how it impacts our daily functioning is important.

I hope to teach them philosophy. Yes, other people's, but more to create their own philosophical perspective on the world. Why? Because it is my opinion that we all use our "philosophy" (call it what you like), to evaluate, problem-solve, function, and rationalize our every thought, experience, ounce of our own life. The development of one's own philosophy is critical to their experiences for the rest of their lives. Having said that, I believe, personally, that one's personal philosophy should integrate the concern/consideration of other people.

The pendulum tends to swing. A vibrant generation will raise vibrant children, a dull and withdrawn generation produces lackluster children with no passion. Our generational values reflect in our future. If we teach consumerism and consumption, our children will be empty blobs which seek pleasure through money. If we teach compassion, creativity, emotional smarts, and a balanced education, we create inspirational leaders.

Just an observation.