Gen X vs. Gen Z

In 2016 I brought my daughter to the polls with me, I thought she might be able to witness my vote for the first female president. You know how that turned out. In 2020, with hope in our hearts, we went to the polls together again, this time she was able to vote too, and we both cast our ballots for the first female vice president.

Watching the results come in over the past few days, each day getting closer to the result that we wanted, and each day feeling a little lighter, a little more free, and cautiously, carefully, possibly joyful.

Finally, the call was made and we became witness to and participants in history. Together.

Gen X wasn’t a particularly inspired generation, but we sure saw the problems and weren’t afraid to point them out. And now, I see the new generation coming behind us, growing up in a world where the issues are clear and so many of them aren’t the least bit conflicted about their power to make a difference.

We had so many excuses, the baby boomers sucking up all of the air (and the jobs, and the influence, and the real estate) while we didn’t have a lot of major events to coalesce around. But we did what we did, and quietly raised our children to be better than we were. And now they are. They have grown to see each other as equals no matter their station, and understand without question the moral imperative to clean up our politics and our planet.

You go, Gen Z. I’m proud of you. I’ll join my voice with yours and together we are an unbeatable force.