Gen X: life, death, sexuality, and cynicism

The Ultimate Tease

Enticed by seductive rhythms,

Yet sensing the senseless, we

Strive for something—some

Reason for living, loving, dying

All.

Witnessing birth and death, the burst

            Of beginning and end, we

Perceive whispered promises,  

Issued visions from somewhere

Beyond.

Tempted to believe we possess power we

Press for fulfillment

Almost touching always

Baited by

Provocative Elusions we

Tremble at the Strip-Tease of life.

Desire. Approach. Refrain.

All

Ways the yearning denied.

Born not on our own we Die

All alone

Grasping for dreams induced by

Chanced glimpses of More that

Keeps

All most

Coming.
                                 -Me

I also found this poem I wrote as a young adult (back when I was especially annoyingly optimistic to my friends) words that pull together what I’ve been talking about, crazy as it is may seem . . . life, death, sexuality, and cynicism pulled together in the mind of the earlier Gen Xer who was me:

I’ve hit on death and sex and intend to move on to more of what characterizes the Gen Xers amongst us. In a word, what has characterized our lives is cynicism.

As for me, I have been a PollyAnna Sunshine in the midst of cynical friends. I’ve had to step lightly through the minefield of cynicism from college on in order not to overly annoy those of my friends and peers who prefer to see the glass half empty. I may be an optimist in a pessimistic generation, but I’m pretty sure people from other generations see my sarcastic and morbid bent more vividly than do my peers . . . I'm often told as much by the looks I get. "HEY!" I want to say, "I'm the hopeful one! Don't you know?!"

Today, a midlife Gen Xer, I mourn the death of an aunt who often stepped in as a mother to me. I’m thankful to have been blessed through her life. Sorry about bringing up the death subject again; it’s just where I find myself this morning.

Blessings to you all. Until the next time, when I will attempt to understand the cynicism of Gen X  . . .

This blog post is part of a series of writing (April 3-May 14, 2011) by Tammy Fletcher Bergland about Generation X facing midlife.   tbergland.blogspot.com