The missing generation

As far as generations I kind of fell through the cracks. The beat moment and hippies happened while I was around, but I was much too young for either. I've often thought I would have made a good Beatnik, until I found out that my favorite writers of the era were running on Bennies and alcohol. It was tough realizing some of the best writings in American history were a product of drug riddled brains. Hippies were also into a world of drugs and that never really appealed to me. The world around us has hard edges, they are there for a reason and trying to soften them with "mind enhancing" drugs is not the way to go. Drinking oneself into oblivion (which I have done ) is also just a temporary escape. The damage the drugs and alcohol do far outweigh any advantage to them.

What I lack is a movement I can identify with, but none are a good fit. I have problems with be identified as a "Baby Boomer," as though I am just a product of a postwar explosion of sex frivolity. Maybe the pundits are right in using letters now, such as Gen X or Y, though that seems the lazy way out. I am much to old to be lumped into those groups anyway, though I enjoy a lot of the music and get a charge out of watching YouTube videos of skate rats biting the dust. I did have a skate board when I was a kid, but only saw the thing as a quick ticket to the emergency room.

Maybe I am part of the disenfranchised generation - no outstanding characteristic that can be used for a tag, no political voice, did the usual things such as maintain some patriotism, went to church (really, I used to go all the time), fell in love with a wonderful brown-eyed girl, got married and raised a family together. Never got divorced, wear my seat belt, don't kick dogs, and give the kid's ball back when it flies into my yard. I don't drive a fancy car, have a "beautiful job," as my mother had wished, or have accomplished anything that will be remembered in generations to come.

Maybe the Humdrum Generation, or the Plain Vanilla Generation might work. Tough to tell for sure and I don't have any catch slogans or Hollywood Star power to push the idea. Guess I'll have to think more on it and come up with something that involves Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders of Victoria's Secret Angels, a real attention grabber. Or maybe I don't need to be part of any generation, maybe I am Generation Phos -- for better or worse I don't think there are many like me. It's probably a good thing though.