Now What?

What are life’s most difficult questions? Read on to discover one of mine.

Esther Cepeda, a columnist for the Chicago Sun Times, wrote an article recently about Gen Xers coming into their own.<
Here is an excerpt:

“Because they live in the shadow of both generations, they have never been allowed to have a full expression of their ego, and that kind of puts Generation Xers in a great place where they can facilitate other people’s work while creating their own success,” Martin told me. “We are entering a new age of cooperation — capitalism as we’ve always understood it is no longer functioning. We’re seeing America revising the American Dream on a daily basis. Who could be better-suited to usher in the new era of the belt-tightened collective society than the generation known to be focused on balanced lifestyles, who didn’t buy into the rat race that, in the end, boomers didn’t end up better for?”

I’m glad to read something positive about Generation X for a change. I get weary with all the doom and gloom that’s out there, so, my regards to Esther. It is exciting to think of Gen X redefining the American Dream.

Nevertheless, this article did make me think about the joy of arriving vs. the beauty of the journey. You see, the thing is, I have this scene that regularly plays out in my mind every time I hear an Xer wish his life away for a better job or a better car or a better house or a better vacation or a better salary or better whatever. Here’s how it goes.

Now What?

A tireless Gen Xer in his late 40s finally receives the big promotion he’s been dreaming about for 20 or more years. He moves from his cube or small office into the corner office, albeit not without angst and not without feeling like a total poser-imposter. Still, he makes it through his first day of being The Boss without incident, and after everyone has left for the day he goes over to the window he has coveted (secretly, of course) half his life, and he looks down from the high-rise at all the tiny cars and people caterpillaring by and in the coming lamplight of 6 p.m., with all his mentors retired and gone, he utters to himself one of life’s most profound questions: Now what?

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What other difficult questions need asking and answering?