Yumi:

You are right smack dab in the middle of the MTV generation, or maybe the Pepsi generation. Something like that. In contrast to the self-absorbed baby boomers and those of us who are doomed to live our lives in the boomer shadow, your generation is supposed to be a generation of hope. You have rejected the money-grubbing, cynical, world-weary ways of your immediate predecessors, and have embraced the cause of healing the global ecosystem. As spring follows winter, yours is the generation of rebirth and a new idealism.

Those of you who still doubt the media's love affair with those damn boomers have only to read the December 7th issue of NewsWeek. The COVER STORY is "Baby Boomers Turn 50!" What will they do now? How will they cope with middle age? Will they rise to the occassion? Will they be even happier and hipper than ever before?

ARRRRRRRRRRRG! There was, at least, a small compensation in the form of a sidebar by someone just ahead of the boomers. He called himself a "tweener", that is, one of the millions lost somewhere between the officially designated generational crests. So I guess that's what I (and most of us here) are: Tweeners. Too young to be boomers, and too old to be MTV'ers.

Actually, though, I'm inclined to agree with Stuart's comments. Most of this generational stuff is just hype and much of my current annoyance comes with "paying my dues." But our need to label each generation is, I believe, a relatively recent phenomenon, and is part of a pattern of increasing self-absorption. And that, I fear, is further evidence for the decline of western civilization.

Boomers? Bah! Humbug!