Life with Liz: 2020

Here we are: 2020. I’m not going to argue with the camp that says the decades start on the ’01s versus those who insist that the new decade has started. 2020 just feels like it’s going to be a year of change. Maybe it’s the history buff in me that is looking forward to a chance to relive the Roaring ’20s. Maybe it’s the myopic in me that has always had poor vision of one sort or another that looks forward to everything being crystal clear in 20/20.

One of the many family conversations that we had over the holiday break centered on the generations. My kids have heard the terms boomer and millennial thrown around quite a bit and were naturally curious to know which generation they were. While an internet search revealed that they’re considered part of Generation Z, they are just starting to come into adulthood. So far, the generalization is that they’re independent and autonomous. Considering the battles that we have on a regular basis, I’m inclined to agree with that assessment. Interestingly, because of their adaptivity on the internet, they’re also more likely to start earning money at an early age than their predecessors. Hmmm … we seem to have missed the boat on that one.

But, I’m OK with that. It seems that a lot of this comes from knowing how to market themselves on the internet and harness technology to do their bidding. A has recently been trying to convince me that esports are a thing and that becoming an esports “legend” is not that hard at all. All he needs is screen time and a few hours a week to dedicate to the cause. My response is here’s an ax, there’s a woodpile that needs splitting, and hurry up and get that done so that we can get to swim practice for some actual sports.

Of course, that’s a pretty typical Generation X response. Yes, the Wonderful Husband and I are both members of that sandwich generation that’s previously been known for our slacker attitudes and our cynicism. Now, apparently, we’re the backbone and the glue holding everything together, just getting the job done, ignoring the boomer/millennial war going on around us. “Active, happy and achieving a work-life balance” says one website. Hmmm … why do I feel like I’ve missed the balance part here?

All too often, I feel like the work part of my life overshadows the life part of my life, but I guess having an awareness that there should be a balance is a step in the right direction. The WH and I do find ourselves making concerted efforts to put the work aside and focus on just enjoying life, even though we know we will regret it and work double time to make up the work that we’re missing.

Just a few weeks ago, it was my turn to pick a movie to watch, and I felt like it was time to introduce the boys to one of the classics: “The Breakfast Club.” Out of all the John Hughes films that influenced my teenage life, if I had to narrow it down to one, it would be this one. First, my high school class only had 27 kids in it, so, it was easy to pick one of the roles in the movie and model yourself after it. Since we were so small, it was also easy to see that “each one of us” could be “a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, and a princess, and a criminal.” Secondly, my little group of friends was very competitive when it came to grades, but we also realized we had strength in numbers. Every morning, we’d meet in the cafeteria and help each other finish up homework assignments or cram for a quiz. The teachers took to calling us “The Breakfast Club,” and we ate it up.

I was gratified to see that the boys related to the movie, said things hadn’t changed too much since I went to school, and of course, identified a little of themselves in each character. I wasn’t quite so happy to discover that Principal Vernon is the character I most identify with these days. The kids finally understand why I say “cracking skulls.” And, I can only imagine the Facebook outrage and potential lawsuits that would emerge today if an administrator or teacher made such a threat.

One of the other realizations that I had after watching this movie is that it sets the precedent for respecting authority but managing to do things our own way, another defining characteristic of Gen X. In the end, the detention is served, and the writing assignment is completed, as required, but the journey was hardly as prescribed by Principal Vernon.

I asked my kids what movies they thought summed up their generation so far. Obviously, one of the biggest, most elaborate franchises of all time came to their mind immediately: The Avengers. A was quick to point out that Tony Stark’s attitude and smart-alecky was very similar to Bender’s, the bad boy of the Breakfast Club. G figured out that Captain America was a lot like the athlete, Andrew Clark. Once we started down that path, we had to finish it up. Eventually, we decided that Dr. Strange was probably the most like the “nerd” Brian Johnson, Black Widow was closest to our “basketcase” Allison, and Pepper Potts was probably closest to the Molly Ringwald princess character. Of course, the epic battle of surviving high school and saving the world are also practically synonymous.

At any rate, by the end of the conversation, the kids were still not quite sure what Generation Z meant for them. They felt a little bit disappointed, as it seemed like their generation would be defined by forces beyond their control. Part of them felt like they lived up to some of the more positive characteristics already assigned to them. Part of them felt like they might be a little bit Gen X, a little bit Millennial, and a little bit something that nobody even understands yet. I went even farther back than that. I told them that I saw a little bit of their great-grandparents (The Greatest Generation), a little bit of their grandparents (boomers), and a little bit of the other generations in all of them. I guess Gen Z and 2020 have a lot in common, we just need to let it happen and see what great things can happen.

Liz Pinkey is a contributing writer to the Times News. Her column appears weekly in our Saturday feature section.