Life, Death and Positivity Through Grunge: Can Generation X Adjust our Mindset about the 9-5 Tradition? Yes.

Life, Death and Positivity Through Grunge: Can Generation X Adjust our Mindset about the 9-5 Tradition? Yes.

Oct 11, 2020

What it Means to Be Part of Generation X and Why this Article is Important

I'm updating this post about Generation X should adjust our mindset about the 9-5 tradition in July of 2022. As I've been on this blogging journey, I have continued to be thrown by Gen X conditioning.


When I originally published this, a few days after Eddie Van Halen passed, this was gnawing at me. My original idea for a title was “Life, Death, Inspiration and Motivation.” My internal need was to honor the GenXers who died too young like Kate Spade, Prince, Chris Cornell and Anthony Bourdain (OK a couple were born in the late 50s, but close enough to 1960 and the start of GenX).


Not just honor them, but share the impact of their untimely departure all clumped together in a short period of time. And for other deaths that could’ve been avoided. When Kurt Cobain passed it was a phenomenon for our age group (I’m not trying to be flip) but this, it’s just too much too soon as we hit the middle of our lives.


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We are at the age where we now can relate to parents and grandparents who used to read the obituaries to check on their friends because teachers, mentors, and actors from our childhood are leaving us.


But I argue it’s still too soon for us ourselves. What happened a couple years back?

It seems like I was constantly hearing about an “unexplained” death or outright suicide or overdose. Not just of icons I grew up watching or listening to, but of friends, their family members, someone in mine, or acquaintances from my past.


Don't take Life for Granted: Take Time to Enjoy Every Moment

Instead of depressing me, this trend MOTIVATED me. Like my gal GraceOnFire who happens to be one of my best friends, I am more determined than ever to embrace life. FreeAt50 is clearly part of that since my approach is all about owning my time, sharing it with those I want to share it with and having flexibility to live as I want as long as I can.


You’re probably wondering how grunge fits in (or you’ve forgotten by now that I mentioned it as you think about GenXers lost). In my journey to learn more about making blogging a major part of my life and earning income through it at some point, I’ve joined several Facebook groups for bloggers. This 42 year old gal from New Zealand did the same thing and we connected.

I found this soul sister worlds away and with a very different life as a parent, 7 years younger than me, who read my blog and so I peeked at hers. Only I didn’t just peek, I read her story told her way through lyrics, which many of us can relate to at least parts of.


Conclusion: It's All About Positivity for GenX and for Every Generation Really

So like Amy with her tiny camper and her dog, and like Demelza with her beaches and constant tunes, I am finding my way to joy, in as many moments as possible. Because I have seen how quickly life can end, by choice tragically, or not, just as tragically.


And if I (or any of my blog posts) can help one person be inspired or find a tip that helps them on their journey to professional freedom or just with life, it is icing on my FreeAt50 cake. I honor the living, not just those GenX and the world have lost- cheers!