Three Generations That Didn't Shake the World

A few days ago, an odd sociological phenomenon which makes very little sense occurred to me. Namely, that the Baby Boomers were the first generation to beget (meaning have) children who filled two other generations. The spawn of the Boomers are represented by both Generation X (people born between '65 and 79) and Generation Y (people born between '80 and '95). This might mean the people are living longer and, therefore, extending the time period over which they choose to have children. But the solution that I find by far more likely is that the country, as a whole, is becoming wealthier; this was what allowed for Generation Y. Generation X were the children that were begat (not a real word, I know, but it should be) during the summer of love and Woodstock concert. They were born because their hippie parents couldn't afford birth-control pills or condoms. Generation Y, on the other hand, was born because their Yuppie parents (Boomers whose parents were Republicans) were able to afford not to wear condoms or take birth control; they could pay for a nanny, boarding school tuition and college fees. What is consistent about all three of these American generations is that none of them is particularly impressive, nor are there many in any of these generations who accomplished anything. The Boomers are perhaps the people who were radical until they needed to get a job, the Generation X's are the cynics who are entrepreneurial, and the YGens are still yet to have any notable members. But at least we're not of the MFA guild.