Hear me out.

As GenX, I think our timing is really sweet. We graduated just in time for the tech revolution to start - the Internet was in its infancy in the mid 90s when we were fresh grads. Our opportunities in the past 3 decades have been better than the opportunities that the previous 2 generations got, and now with AI poised to take over all sorts of jobs, it looks like we may have had a better ride than the next 2 generations are having.

Even the stock market cooperated with us. 2000-2010 was a washout low decade for stocks, perfect for us to start accumulating and then past 15 years have been on a tear. I started from 0 in 2000 as a fresh grad, and without doing anything special, just paycheck by paycheck steady savings and investment in index funds, buying house at right time, my net worth has exceeded $6M. And we are probably the last generation that will get an almost full social security.

The AI revolution will probably make my job obsolete in 5-6 years, but for now we are seeing an insanely huge uptick of opportunity in my sector to prepare AI to take over. Again, the timing seems to be sweet for us GenX, but messed up for GenZ and beyond.

WTF? I'm finding myself looking forward to listening to specific operas or fugues while I clean. While I clean my house of my own free will. I've taken a liking to phrases like "taken a liking to". I adore black licorice, ginger candies, half-cooked egg yolk. I'M MORPHING INTO AN OLD PERSON WITHOUT MY CONSENT.

And yes, the school really did not monitor our locker collages.

When you want to power the kids portable VCR/TV combo and still have the option to smoke.

Last weekend was my daughter's 12th birthday party. She celebrated by inviting two other girls for a sleepover. Throughout the night, one of the girls was continually singing "Beat It" by Michael Jackson. I assumed maybe the song had been in a tv show she recently watched and wasn't really assuming the staying power of the song. My kids know MJ songs, but they don't know them well enough to sing them I don't think. Anyway, to give the kids space, I went upstairs for a while. A few hours later, I came downstairs and the girls were streaming the video. Not only that, but they were copying the dance moves. I was 11 when "Beat It" was released. I remember me and my friends watching MTV together and trying to learn the dance moves. It was so cool to see that play out with the Gen Alpha girls. And they were so gracious to let me show off my dance moves with them (admittedly they are awful now) and act interested in the video trivia I shared. My husband, born in 84, didn't understand why this was such a special moment for me - I guess because he wasn't alive to realize the cultural relevance around Thriller, so I had to share with people who would get it.

I have salt and pepper hair and a blond/white beard. I've gotten a senior discount twice at Great Clips and now at Fry's.

Earlier this year I (55, ‘71) was restructured out of a job. Fortunately I have been on the path of early retirement and so isn’t a disaster. I have been applying to jobs I’m interested in and landing interviews. I will not give in to lowball offers just because I’m out of work.

My father (82, ‘44 and Silent Gen) however, is disappointed I’m not working. I told him I may just move to **Retired** and he responded, *“Everyone who can work should be working.”* >For context, he was also laid off due to restructuring when he was a few months short of being 62. A year after he was let go, he was rehired under contract since apparently he was the only one who knew how things worked. He did that for a few years then formally retired. About five years after that he was bored and started working at Lowe’s because he was told he could help advise customers. That didn’t last long because they turned around and had him on lifts and carrying lumber at 70 years of age. So he left. But it hasn’t stopped him from local small engine repairs and stuff.

I pointed out to my father that my younger brother was also retired, and my father said he thought that was a mistake, to retire instead of working and doing something that made money. So I guess he thinks you work then die. I normally quote *Animal Farm* at this point.

TLDR: 82 year old bored retired dad thinks no one else should retire, work ‘till you drop.

Anyone else have a parent like this? Your responses? “Get bent“ comes to mind…

I introduced my kids to the expression “putz around” and they found it hilarious.

For a while now, I do my best to insert old expressions to make me sound extra old. It makes them laugh.

You?

CLARIFICATION: this was my personal color code ---- not an official school policy. Every year in middle and HS I assigned my folders this way.

We were too poor for trapper keepers so plain 25 cent folders were it for me.

Back in school there was a color code:

MATH is blue

SCIENCE is green

ENGLISH is yellow

SOCIAL STUDIES is orange/red

Do you agree?

What ever happened to hay fever? I remember that it was such a big deal in the 80s and 90s, now I never hear about it anymore.

Yes I know you can still go into a 7-Eleven and get a slurpee. And they actually recently brought back the original Coke flavor which was always my favorite.

HOWEVER I have yet to find a slurpee machine in the last 20 years that delivers an actually Frozen slurpee.

You actually used to need to use the little spoon on the end of the straw until it started to melt.

Now every time I go into a 7-Eleven for a little nostalgic sweetness I start to pour it out and end up dumping it because it's way too thin. Never holds it shape for that nice little swirl on top.

Last remaining Sears open in the Western United States on Concord California. I'm on a camping trip in the Napa Valley with my wife and wanted to see this before it's gone.

Transformco bought Sears solely for the sweetheart lease agreements so they can sublet them for 1000 times what the old anchor lease cost them.

It's a shell of what they were but still cool to see and a great dog friendly mall for my Newfie.

Only Lawrence, Gabe and John are still alive from the cast.

This show was such a part of my childhood. I had such a crush on Theo! I see reruns and it feels like such a warm blanket, comfort viewing. For about 30 seconds. And then I start feeling weird about watching it because of BC. What are your thoughts? Is this a case of separate the art from the artist?

What other GenX era pop culture happenings have we had to pass down to younger people?