I’m still reading this book and feeling seen. I’m just now getting through a crisis, and I wasn’t alone. Like scripture, this book is providing comfort in community. I’m not the only one who’s experienced this crumbling.
What Gen Xers have gone through is a lot. We were supposed to have it all and do better than our parents. We were under the microscope on so many things and we overworked ourselves—at work and at home. And we’ve lived through a lot of trauma—9/11 happened right when I started work and things have never really stabilized since.
Reading this part in the book, this rings so true. This woman had gone to Target when her baby was really young after asking the doc if it was okay. The baby immediately started screaming and judgement abounded from the people in the story. As she was paying, everything fell out of her purse and she just broke down and cried at the register.
This is not just happening in parenting. This public falling apart bc the pressure of everything is too much, and everyone just watching—or turning away bc it’s too much. No one told us what to do or this could happen, and we are crumbling under the pressure with little communal support.
But a few people show up like the person did for the author in this example. May the ones who do see and respond be the cornerstone of our new order I believe we are building.
Gen X is a generation ready to lead. We know we aren’t going to have it all. We know the grind is killing us. Now let’s sit down and brainstorm better ideas.
There is Life Out There 