Generation X Tough As Nails

I am a proud member of Generation X. Many refer to it as the greatest of all but I am not prepared to say that at this point. I think the Baby Boomers was a tremendous generation that built America through hard work and good morals. As a Gen X kid I was raised by Baby Boomers and learned that hard work, time, energy and patience is required to be successful in life. I was part of the generation of latch key kids that came home everyday after school or ball practice and had to stay by ourselves or with our siblings until mom and dad both got home from work.

I was part of a generation where we stayed outside after school and all day in the summer until mom called us home for supper. We played in the woods, had the best toys and learned how to survive. We jumped on homemade ramps with our bikes. We played army rangers in the woods with BB guns and shot one another with BB’s. We played in the creeks and ponds swimming, fishing and having fun. We learned how to survive by fighting, rolling around and playing football in the back yard without pads. Getting hit by a 17 year old cousin being 8 years old will make you tough or you fold.

We learned how to use tools, change tires, drive tractors, cars and trucks at an early age. We drove school buses at the age of 17. Imagine today’s generation driving a bus with kids (no way) I would let my kids ride a bus with any 17 year old driving. We rode in cars without seat belts, parents blowing second hand smoke in our faces and being told to “suck it up buttercup”. We mowed the yard, plowed gardens, picked the garden and tended to our pets without being told. We didn’t have to be told twice to be quiet or go to bed.

We got in trouble at school, it was twice as bad at home. You got a paddling from the teacher and then a belt from mom or dad. Our grandparents held us to a higher standard and just didn’t spoil us with anything we wanted. You wanted a car you got a beater and had to work to make money to pay for it and insurance. If you played sports you better not quit. You start something, you end it when the season is over. My dad wrote in my baseball glove when I was 8, “quitters never win and winners never quit”. I still have that as one of my motivating factors of life and have that glove.

We sat in school and listened and learned. We did not have computers and phones to distract us. We did a lot of stupid stuff but didn’t get it on film. We grew up with parents that were hard working and had high standards of accountability. Our parents taught us that loyalty is important to a job and family. Family, faith and friends was the main focus of our folks and continues to be the way for many Gen X folks today. We came through when the music was changing and growing. We experienced the emergence of hip-hop, rock and roll and other forms of music.

We lived through wars, the America versus Soviet Union issues and the Cuban missile crisis. We witnessed politics begin to change and caught the end of segregation on the tail end of it. We loved everyone and could care less about what color your hair is, what gender you are, what your political beliefs are, what your faith is or is not, who you want to have as a spouse and definitely don’t care what color or race you are. Advise to the new generations. Be more like the Gen X and less like the new way of allowing race, religion and politics to divide you. We still could care less who you are, who you love, what you demand or want from others. Go live your life and get over yourself and all this demanding people acknowledge you as whatever you identify as. Want to be a cat, be a freaking cat but stop pushing it on others.

Leave the hate out of life and learn to agree to disagree with others. If you can do that then life will be so much easier. Get outside and play with your kids. Hold your kids to higher standards at school and with behavior. Teach them to work hard, be patient, put time and energy into relationships and careers. Teach them that family, faith and friends are the main concepts of a solid rock life. If they start something make them finish it.

“Quitters never win and Winners never quit”.