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The Xer Meme - I Have Been Tagged

The social media maven of the association world, Maddie Grant, tagged me in her Xer meme.

Here is what Maddie asks:
So go on, tell me, my fellow Xers – Have YOU sold out? Have YOU gone mainstream? Or are we still the guerrilla army, changing the world (only without telling anyone)?


I don't necessarily think I, or we as Xers, have necessarily changed. I think the world around us has changed a lot in the last few years. It was a lot easier to be guerrilla on blogs, twitter and facebook then. We were just talking to ourselves and challenging the status quo. Now, my members and board members read my blog, follow my tweets, and friend me on facebook. We as Xers like to be subversive, but know to be responsible enough not to get fired.

Life is changing for us too. I am expecting a 2nd kid. Good Lord. When did that happen? I can't wax philosophical at happy hour and share great ideas about how to change the world. I need to be at home changing diapers and making dinner.

I still feel guerrilla. I don't feel mainstream. I may be an ED, but it is for an association I can shape. I call it the 40 year old start-up. My crazy ideas still hit me with the same regularity. They are just about different things as youth soccer is different than professional AV. Corporate memberships are different than families signing up their kids.

The world I am trying to change has shifted. I wouldn't call it selling out. Look up "Selling Out" on Wikipedia (cause that is what us Xers do) and it says: "Selling out" refers to the compromising of one's integrity, morality and principles in exchange for money, 'success' (however defined) or other personal gain. I haven't gotten any money or personal gain. Success is subjective. I don't feel I have compromised anything either. Things have just changed, as they always do with time.

I like to think of us Xers as being like fine wine - Better with age.

I am supposed to tag folks. I am not sure all these people blog, but oh well. I am an Xer and we don't like rules.

KiKi L'Italien
Scott Sherrin
Dave Sabol
Lynn Morton
David Gammel

Comments

Maddie Grant said…
This is great! Totally awesome. I hadn't actually thought about how much the world has changed around us - and of course a lot of that change is because of GenXers. It's like we've already started changing the world to a massive degree despite our affinity with being guerrilla. And as I write this I'm starting to realize that all of the books we're all reading about the new landscape through social media, all of that is like we've sat up as a generation and started to realize we did manage to change some stuff - and not just a little!
September 27, 2009 at 10:22 AM
Miss Lynn said…
I hate to break it to you Matt, but I'm definitely a Millennial. Though I think I do embrace that Xer rebelliousness at times. ;)

So I'll play along in honor of all my Xer colleagues. Stay tuned.
September 27, 2009 at 6:33 PM
Jennifer Chronicles (jenx67.com) said…
Here I am - blogging about Gen X nearly every day - at least linking to the dialogue, and I myself find it so hard to disclose my answers in this meme. Your post gave me courage, for what it's worth. The more I read the more I'm ready to talk about this. It's not easy. I did sell out, and I had a great career, but you know, over those 18 years, I spent so many hours staring out the window.

Not selling out anymore,
jen
October 1, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Matt Baehr said…
Thanks for reading Jen. That's the beauty of windows. There is always another one with a different view!
October 1, 2009 at 12:04 PM
David M. Patt, CAE said…
Great comments, Matt. The world will always change for everybody.

When I was 20 my colleagues and I talked about political campaigns. At 30, it was telephone systems and insurance plans, at 40 kids and miscarriages, at 50 retirement plans (not that we'll ever retire) and colonoscopies.

Reality is a marvelous thing.
October 1, 2009 at 4:20 PM
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