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Antiwork

Honest question: are everyone’s parents here Baby Boomers?

I ask because, while Boomers sure have fucked up the world and created a system that makes 99% of us miserable, I always see everyone referring to their parents as Boomers. But both of my parents were/are Gen X (dad passed away 7 years ago, mom's still kickin) and feel the exact same way about all of this shit as I do. In fact, when my dad died, that was the moment that it all clicked for me. He worked from the age of 12 right up until he went to hospice care. He worked while he was going through chemotherapy and radiation therapy. He worked until the moment his body gave up and that was it. And he died thinking that he had nothing to give to my brothers and I, because even though he'd worked his entire life, he was never able to save up and break out…


I ask because, while Boomers sure have fucked up the world and created a system that makes 99% of us miserable, I always see everyone referring to their parents as Boomers. But both of my parents were/are Gen X (dad passed away 7 years ago, mom's still kickin) and feel the exact same way about all of this shit as I do. In fact, when my dad died, that was the moment that it all clicked for me. He worked from the age of 12 right up until he went to hospice care. He worked while he was going through chemotherapy and radiation therapy. He worked until the moment his body gave up and that was it. And he died thinking that he had nothing to give to my brothers and I, because even though he'd worked his entire life, he was never able to save up and break out of this cycle of poverty.

My mom has since started her own business where she's the only employee because she knows she couldn't pay someone else a living wage. She doesn't even make the equivalent of $15/hr for herself, but she's happy, because at least she's in control of it all now. She can afford her rent and bills and she can save a tiny amount of money and that's really all she wants out of life right now.

I dunno, it might be pedantic but I just feel like I only ever see people vilifying their parents for being Baby Boomers, but I guess I'm confused by that. My parents had me young, sure, but I'm 26 now and I feel like I cannot be the only one with Gen X parents. Anyone else? And if so, do your parents relate to the antiwork ethos? Or did they inherit generational wealth that caused them to be just as entitled as the previous generation?

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