defiance of authority
Gen-X superpower. It’s the force that has kept us adaptable, resourceful, and unafraid to question the status quo. Swinger status becomes us. Who are we?
The "Latchkey Kid" Experience
Gen X’s political identity is complex, shaped by our historical experiences and enduring cynicism toward authority. Our support for a particular candidate or party often stems from practical concerns rather than ideological loyalty, making our choices a pivotal swing vote in elections. We’re independent, skeptical, and pragmatic; our nature means we will remain a wildcard in the political landscape.
Many Gen Xers grew up as latchkey kids in the 1970s and 1980s, often left to their own devices due to rising divorce rates and two-income households. This created a sense of independence but also a feeling of abandonment. We learned to fend for ourselves early, fostering a distrust of authority figures who were supposed to "be there" but often weren’t.
But why were we latch-key in the first place? Most likely from divorce, and living with a single mom. The lucky latchers lived in “dual-income families” which at the time just meant they were had two parents trying not to be broke. Now we realize that these names and descriptions of our childhood were attached to us at much later times and dates. We were just living the hand dealt to us. For the longest time we were dubbed the Forgotten Generation. Seen, not heard.
Second grade was when my mom safety-pinned a house key onto my shirt. Not yet divorced, but on the road and headed downhill at that time. Already separated a time or two with his second family, it was looking like a repeat failure for my bio-dad. (Like Sarah Connor, mom prepared her kids the best she could. We lived, she boasts self-congratulatory, and turned out normal!) Bio-dad went on to fail his 3rd family after us. Bitter divorce recriminations resulted in 16 year-old me testifying against said father in a court of law. Defending the honor of my sister and mother.
The back and forth became the norm. California to New Mexico. Return to LA. Then, back to Farmington from LA. Different schools every year from grade 4 to 12. Culture shock became culture adapt. But that is the virtue that undergirds Gen-X. We get along with everyone and get on with the task at hand. Get over it.
In a really good piece I found today - not surprisingly on Substack but from a Google search - it dives down deep into the theory I posit. Especially about the differences where a single mom is involved.
This created a sense of independence but also a feeling of abandonment.
Feelings of abandonment are restrictive. Notions of independence are liberating. How does generational shift take place? Every 15-20 years a new cohort graduates from the kids table to a chair with the adults. It is a rite of passage long honored.
Gen-X has much on our mind, and more on our soul. We were rode hard and put away wet. Self-sufficiency and abandonment-issues are hand-in-glove with us. Bounce-back parents and boomerang kids put unique pressures on this generation that long valued our independence, but now are reconciling our collective past.
We expect much of others, and demand even more from ourselves. Expectation of mishap and mayhem girds us for barely less catastrophic outcomes. Neglect, indifference, and contempt resulted in unintended consequences. We now live in generational vortex, placing Gen-X as the seasoned hand at the helm.
Seems crazy, giving the keys to the kingdom to a guy that’s wrecked every car he’s owned. But what the hell, I’ll take this one to the limit too. See you at the top.
Best ~ Ric
here’s some lively ditties for your listening pleasure.
Watch this documentary. Hard-drinkin bar-fightin sailor finally got a medal.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7520764/
As a Millenial, I've watched the Latchkey Kids oddly turn into the Helicopter Parents of Gen Z. From that Superpower to raising kids who are the Kryptonite of that superpower. The pendulum swing was crazy.
Latchkey kids themselves created a new class of adults: The Lady Across The Street. My wife was one such TLATS. The kids were told that if they needed something they should go to TLATS; she's always at home and doesn't work.
None of the parents entrusting their kids to TLATS ever questioned why she stayed home. That was a decision we made early in our careers as parents. Dad would work to sustain the family financially; Mom would stay home to sustain the family emotionally. That put a great strain on the TLATS; since she's always home she leads the Brownie and Girl Scout troops. She organizes the bake sale, chaperones the school trips, serves as President of the PTA, etc. I never knew what they assumed about why my wife was a TLATS. Our youngest daughter was chronically ill; that alone would have accounted for it.