A New Generation

I've literally just discovered that I am a member of a fairly new (to me, anyway) generational designation--Generation "Jones". Apparently, those of us born between 1954 and 1965 are neither Baby Boomers nor Gen-X-ers. We are "Jones-ers." The term was coined by cultural historian Jonathon Pontell. Pontell says that the name refers, in part, to the anonymity of the Jones Generation, sandwiched between the Boomers and the X-ers and forgotten by demographers.

"Jonesing," Pontell says, also refers to pining or craving. Our generation has always pined for the idealism and free-spiritedness of the Boomers' formative years. Instead, we watched color footage from the war in Vietnam after dinner every night from our earliest childhood. As we came of age, and began to become politically aware, we watched our president resign on national television. Inflation soared and competition for jobs became fierce. The great promise of the post-war years which in some ways fed the idealism of the 60's, crumbled. We are now the sandwich generation, feeling the brunt of company layoffs and too young to retire.

The good news is that we are now in leadership positions around the globe. I pray that those "Jonesers" who are now governing the free world (eg., Barack Obama, b. 1961 and Felipe Calderon, president of Canada, b. 1962) remember those of us who are struggling and pining here in the trenches.