What Was It Like Growing Up Gen X In Montana? Totally Bitchen

I was born in Choteau, Montana in 1968, that makes me Generation X.  Let me guess, you've never heard of us.  That is not even a little surprising to me.  It's ok, though.  I'm not mad or bitter.  There is this strange part of me that likes that our generation is ignored and left alone.

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What is Generation X?

Gen X is the generation between Boomers and Millennials.  We're the children of the Boomers, born in the late 60's to late 70's.

We're the original latch-key kids.

We grew up during the women's movement.

We grew up when smoking was still cool.

We grew up when toys were actually dangerous.  (Ever seen a clacker or lawn darts or a 3 wheeler?)

We grew up at a time when we could take a note to the store from our parents and they'd sell us beer and cigarettes to bring home to our parents.  I know you think I'm kidding, but I'm not.

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I was raised at a time when our mothers had just been given the LEGAL right to have their own bank account and credit cards.

I grew up at a time when divorce became more the norm than taboo.  We are the kids that first had both the dad AND the mom working outside the home due to choice not necessity.

I was raised at a time when, get this, credit ratings weren't a thing.  (There was a period of time I was mad at my parents for not teaching me about credit ratings and how to have a good one, then I realized they weren't even a thing until the 80's.  How could they teach me something they didn't know?)

I grew up at a time when almost all of my friends owned their OWN car in high school.  I knew how to drive before I was 10, had a job and made my own car payments at 14.

It was cool and encouraged to go to college.

It was cool and encouraged to hit your kids for punishment, and let teachers, babysitters, strangers in a store, practically ANYONE, do the same.

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My parents would leave my brother and me home alone for substantial lengths of time with zero adult supervision.  My parents would tell us to leave the door locked and only answer the phone if it was them.  Now this was the 70's, so there was no caller ID or answering machine.  They'd say "We'll let the phone ring 3 times then hang up.  Then we'll call back and you answer."   Here's the thing, that sounds CRAZY, but my parents were considered WAY overprotective at the time.

I grew up when MTV was cool AND played NOTHING but music videos.  It was totally radical.

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I know Gen X complains a lot about being overlooked.  If anyone anywhere ever looked it up, it's a completely valid thing to complain about.  Literally NOTHING has ever centered around us.  But that's also what's so damn awesome about being Gen X.  We are probably the most self sustaining generation since before they started naming generations.

Thanks for coming to my What is Gen X Ted Talk.

Here's a gallery for my Boomer friends.  You seem to be the only ones people care about anyway.