What's your Gen?

Not, "der" as in what sex are you! I mean what generation have the all-mighty marketers and Gods of Pop culture placed you?

I'm Gen X, which is roughly people born betwee 1965 and 1982. Gen Y are the '82 through like 2000 and I've heard today's kids called Gen M (for mobile, of course).

Let's not take it too seriously. After all, just like the terms chick lit, urban lit, emo-punk, neo-soul and "new and improved" gen monikors are just terms used so the corporate powers know how to categorize something.

As a marketer, I eat that ish up. As a consumer it drives me nuts! Don't ask how those two bickering traits live in me...I'm an enigma. Ha!

But, Gen X'ers are turning...yikes, 40. Well started turning 40 last year. While that's hella scary and I refuse to go quietly into that night when it's my turn, I feel like celebrating all that is holy about being a member of Generation X.

So, just in case you have no idea where you fit (and really, isn't it all just a state of mind), you're a Gen X'er if:

12. You still remember when athletes staying in college all four years was the norm.

11. You've ever been caught up in a lay-off...or quit a job before they could lay you off. Technology bust, anyone?

10. Professionally, you consider yourself a free agent. Being a company-man is a Baby Boomer thing, keep it moving! Also, see #11.

9. Every two or three years when it was time to move on, your parents secretly planned interventions to whup the slacker out of you and make you "settle down."

8. You turned a hobby into a lucrative career (i.e. skate boarding, gaming, writing). Come on, who needs a 9-to-5 when you can play all day?!

7. You still own albums and/or home made cassette tapes. To qualify, the home made tape must include at least two seconds worth of the DJ or commercial at the end of the song 'cause you couldn't hit stop in time.

6. You can find at least one photo of yourself from the 80's that would actually be considered in style today. Big hair, bold patterns, mini skirts...let's hear it for getting old enough to see styles come back!

5. You didn't find it strange at all when Shaq ventured into rapping then acting. We are, after all, masters of the multi-career.

4. You have kids and can't say one word about them doing homework while also surfing the 'net, listening to an iPod and have the TV blaring in the background. Come on, we did it!

3. TFB's like Paris Hilton piss you off. The least they could do is actually work for their spending money like trust fund kids of our day. John-John did it dammit, so can they!

2. You roll your eyes when your kids act like you don't understand IM and Text talk. Uh, hello, they didn't invent it. We did!

1. Everytime a song comes on, you give a lecture about who wrote the original or where the sample came from and how they used to bump it at the skating rink.

All hail Generation X, jacks of all trades, Kings of none!