:: book bound

I think what stood out most for me in Generation X - outside of how much I found myself relating to the emotional conflicts, mental despair, and general apathy - were the included cartoons, bold statements and definitions littered throughout the book along the side panels of the story.

I had a quirky argument with my mother on the way home from work today - as we seem to do lately whenever the topic of life is brought up and how each of believes it should be lived - and it made me think about the comic above. We weren't exactly talking about buying a house, per se, but the conversation was rooted in possibly finding the love of my life at some trade show I have to attend for work tomorrow. I scoffed.

My retort wasn't well pieced together, and my logic possibly flawed, but I used examples from the lives of those around me and essentially rebutted by saying I'd rather live life my way than give it up for a man - a concept she seems to throw me at quite frequently over the last little while, which is strange to me since, up until about a year ago, being a relationship was like hanging out with Satan. Or so it felt like.

Regardless, the thought process was:

Meet love of life. Get married. Buy house. Work forever at a dead end job to pay for house. Game over.

"My friends are all either married, boring, and depressed; single, bored and depressed; or moved out of town to avoid boredom and depression. And some of them have bought houses, which has to be kiss of death, personality-wise. When someone tells you they've just bought a house, they might as well tell you they no longer have a personality. You can immediately assume so many things: that they're locked into jobs they hate; that they're broke; that they spend every night watching videos; that they're fifteen pounds overweight; that they no longer listen to new ideas. It's profoundly depressing." (p. 143)

I somewhat explained this concept to her in my own disjointed way, and even though she agrees with this theory, especially in relation to people around us who have done it, she still seems to insist that I do the same. Well, at least, the whole finding a man portion of it. When did this become so important and my independence not so much?

I recall a conversation her and I had about a year and a half ago in which she admitted being afraid that I'd be alone, with no husband or children of my own, when she passes. Apparently, this the most terrible thing in the world that could happen to me. I kind of relish in the thought sometimes.

"Give your parents the tiniest of confidences and they'll use them as crowbars to jimmy you open and rearrange your life with no perspective. Sometimes I'd just like to mace them." (p. 86)

* * *

Fame-induced apathy: The attitude that no activity is worth pursuing unless one can become very famous pursuing it. Fame-induced apathy mimics laziness, but its roots are much deeper.

Option paralysis: The tendency, when given unlimited choices, to make none.

Occupational slumming: Taking a job well beneath one's skill or education level as a means of retreat from adult responsibilities and/or avoiding possible failure in one's true occupation.