Gen-X to Millennials: I'm Sorry

Sometimes I wonder if Generation X has let down the Millennials.

Let me explain.

The Millennials are in a rather interesting position generationally speaking, in that they are the Baby Boomers' second wave of kids.

Generation X are the Boomers' first wave of kids, that makes us the Millennials' big brothers.

So on behalf of big brother Generation X, let me apologize to little brother Millennial.

Look, mom and dad got divorced when we were eight. Dad left mom with us and a big house to keep up. Mom went to work and we were something of a latchkey kid. Childhood really was different back then, little brother. We went outside till the lights came on or the moon came out. No one really cared what we did.

We didn't really see Dad much, he was off exploring himself and marrying your mom. Back then she was a young, aggressive go-getter at dad's office.

By the time you showed up, Millennials, we were a teenager. As you know you and I were never really that close, I mean how often did we really see each other, like once a month maybe? And by the time you could have used a big brother we were getting our own start in life. Our own mom confessed to being glad we were out of the house and Dad, well, he had a lot of regrets about not being there for us. 

To be honest, and I'm not really sure if I should tell you this, you were Dad's idea, your mom wasn't really that into having kids, but Dad insisted. Later when you came along, your mom felt guilty about that and all the effort she used to put into her career she put into you.

So Dad and your mom smothered you, helicoptered you. By then we were in our 20s. We saw how every second of your day was planned, from soccer, to piano lessons to playdates. We had playdates, little brother, it was called going outside and finding your friends. Once or twice we said something to Dad about it, pointing out how much fun we had out in the street or in the woods,  even with the scrapes, bruises and broken bones. We should have been more forceful, but were never sure if it was our place. To be honest, your mom always resented us. She felt the money dad paid on our college should have been spent on you.

We could have been a comfort to you, little brother. When Dad belittled you, criticized you, slammed you for not trying to be like him, for having your own culture -tv shows, music, god the music, we could have put an arm around you and said, 'Don't worry, he did the same thing to us.'

By the time you could have used a big brother we had a life of our own, mortgages, kids, careers, the whole bag.

We could have shown you some old TV shows, some old tunes; not in the condescending Boomer 'this is real music' kind of way either. Rather, 'Hey you like Taylor Swift? Have you ever listened to Shania Twain?' I guess there's a hundred things like that but I'll spare you a full reckoning.

Instead let me just say to you, little brother Millennial, Generation-X is here for you now.