Where we talk about generations...

I watched a TV show about generation X. And it got me to thinking. Mostly because of the circumstances of my life...I married a girl that was six years younger than me, and my most significant relationship post divorce was with someone that was 15 years younger than me. A lot of people chalk that up to a mid life crisis or some kind of weird perversion but there may just be a better explanation...it has to do with where I fit in a generation both in larger society and within my own family.

I identify as a Gen-Xer. Both of my parents were baby boomers, my father served in Vietnam, I was a latch key kid, and my parents were divorced...my mother several times. I have all the classic Gen X traits, and I can also identify with the skepticism associated with Gen X and can admit a certain amount of what baby boomers call laziness. I call it more a decision by this generation to play the game by a different set of rules. I've always had a more John Lennon approach to life...where being happy is more important than the size of my bank account or the prestige of some big job title. On top of all that one of my heroes is Kevin Smith who most definitely is if not the voice one of the voices of Generation X...the so called lost generation. Which makes a lot of sense...because a lot of the time I feel lost.

Some may find it odd that I would have a hero from my own generation but I think more and more that is becoming common place because we identify with the people that see the world the same way as we do. Which of course would lead us to the people of our own generation. On top of all that I am Gen X by just a hair. I was born in 1976 which by most ways of measurement puts me at the very tail end of being considered Generation X.

Put a pin in that for a moment.

In terms of family...my generation of family is not Gen X. By and large they are what is now referred to as Millenials. On my direct branch of my family tree I am the first Grandson. I am the first member of this generation of my immediate family. ON my larger family tree I am the second great grand child. Which means by definition there is only one other Gen-Xer in my family. It also means that I grew up around people by and large that were more than a few years older than me and quite a few years younger than me. The main point being I didn't meet and befriend people of my generation till High School.

When I think about it in those terms it makes a lot of sense that I would date, be involved with people that identify as Millenials. In truth I am almost one of them...but not quite which leads to the feelings of being lost which really leads me to identify as a Gen-Xer.

Of course in terms of what is socially acceptable a 15 year age gap between two people in a relationship is way too much. There really isn't anyway around that, but given the maturity level of my ex-wife I also think that our six year age cap was too large.

While post divorce my dating, meaning the people I have been attracted to, habits skew younger...to the point of them not really being age appropriate...I was involved with someone a few years older than me that raises the average age pretty significantly. In the end though I just date the people who I find are interesting. Given my place in the generations of society that seems to often lead to being involved with younger women...call it a perversion of whatever...it is what it is.