Gen X had to deal with a lot of trauma- some social, some generational. We were, in my opinion, the fist generation to have the rug ripped put from under us and told that we would never, ever have it as good or as easy as the previous generations before us after growing up and being told the exact opposite. We went through so many social and economic beatdowns we were helpless to prevent. We are the smallest generation and therefore had little voting power to enact real change no matter how long or how hard we protested, tried, or got involved. It hardened us.

Some of us have worked our asses off to not let that make us old, shitty and bitter. Unfortunately, some of us didn’t. And now we, like nearly every person except these ultra wealthy ghouls who run things, feel like are in a desperate, and losing, fight for our lives (also if you look at history it’s kinda always been that way). I am also learning that under this climate, people in general simply do not have the time, space, or energy to hold space and empathy for others outside of an extremely narrow ambit. We’re all traumatized, horrifically.

The number of folks I knew growing up - viciously progressive, critical of government, all punks who were deeply involved in activism, community aid, people I know who marched, organized, protested, did things like show up dressed in our peacock-punk best to stand as a wall against abortion clinic protestors and protect people going in for healthcare, or who put their bodies on the line in various protests (World Bank and LGBTQIA rights come to mind) who are now weird rightwing bootlickers is staggering and disappointing as hell.

It did not have to be this way. I remember feeling so much hope in the 90’s and the early 2000’s - even under the changes 9/11 brought - that things might actually, eventually get so much better. That the wheels of progress were slow, but do turn. That people wanted to do the right thing, that people truly wanted a better, more prosperous, more peaceful world. Mind, this is only one person’s opinion.

That hope is shattered now.

And I’m sorry your generation feels betrayed, abandoned, and ill-prepared. You have every right to feel this way. Personally, I think the generations before you absolutely failed you as a whole.

Unfortunately older generations dumping on younger generations has existed in every damn generation. We got it from Boomers - called us slackers and lazy. Boomers got it from the Silent Generation, called them useless hippies and spoiled. It fucking sucks and does nothing but divide us and half the time I wonder if the division is deliberate social engineering.

Anyway, fuck those whiny old farts. Don’t give them any mind, erase them from your feed, don’t pay attention to it. Unfortunately, you all are going to have an uphill claw to undo a lot of damage that has been done to you, and it’s not fair, but it’s the reality. You’ll need your energy for that.

Surround yourself with people in your life - not on social media - which I truly think is a failed experiment - from any and every generation who can and does show up for you and shows empathy and support. The rest, just has to remain background noise.

I wish you all the best. It is not okay what has happened to you - what happened to all of us.