My Generation

Takin bout my generation… Let’s see being 29. Do I classify as Gen X, Gen Y or whatever generation we find ourselves in now. I was on the younger side of X but maybe a little too old for the gen Y. I think we did a lot in the discussion of abortion, regardless of what side of the fence you sit on. The atrocities of China and the Tibetan movement were front and center with the reinvention of the mass traveling tour circus’ Lollapalozza, Woodstock, Lilith Fair, Free Tibet. Activism was accessible, easy, the in thing to do. Upon graduating, everyone flocked to volunteer programs.

The question was posed, “How can we impact our world while we still can and the pressures of capitalism are yet to be fully realized. We relied on more tech in every facet of our lives. Gay and lesbian movements were huge and becoming more and more topic atop the hill in D.C.

I’ve recently heard stories that the next generation’s preoccupation seems to center on material possession. They want to be on top of the hill… It’s a little discerning, I still have hopes of opening a clinic that can serve an overseas population. I know it’s never accurate to classify a generation as such and such. But I enjoy thinking there’s a little bit more social awareness in the preceding generation. With my parents generation, their thoughts on my generation is that it’s pretty remarkable. Gone are the days that the job you get either out of high school or college, is the job you retire from. If not even that, not even the same field. I spoke recently to an aunt of mine in Human resources, of where she said she referenced me in speech to her colleuges about the importance of maintaining content workers. If those workers are not content, they hold no reservation to leaving and retraining themselves in another field all together.

Having gone from consulting, to healthcare to the financial services industry, I can see what she means. There is a certain reckless abandon, not only by me, that’s possessed by our generation that if there’s something you want to do, there’s nothing except yourself stopping you. That same abandon can be seen as irresponsible or indecisive. While possibly true, I’ve thought that our generation has become unbelievable generalists. While adaptability is at an all time high, specialty is a little lacking.

As for our hero’s… I think of visionaries like, the Dali Lama, Pres. Clinton, Gorbachev, Thatcher, Princess Dianna, Lech Walesa, Nelson Mandela. On the flip side, villains were Kadafi, Noriega, Arafat. Things done in the 90’s were on a revolutionary level… the falling of the Berlin wall, dissolution of the Soviet Union, Chernobyl, the challenger tragedy, Waco, the advent of aids, Somalia. Social commentary was brought to a new level for the explosion of MTV and the cell phone. People like U2, Madonna, Nirvana, and Michael Jackson helped the music scene influence the generation.

I don’t think the advancements experienced through our generation were explicitly different. Politics, tragedy, music, optimism, hope, despair. That’s the fabric of life… We’re a volatile bunch, us human’s are and we can never be too happy with nothing going on. We like the pot stirred…
I really enjoy the influence of globalization on me. There is no border, whether in culture, race, religion or class, that can’t be accessed or learned about or even interacted with.