Gen X and the Lost Art of the Hunt
I think every generation believes theirs is the best. As a Gen Xer, I beg to disagree—but that’s such a Gen X thing to say. Still, there’s a little prickly feeling inside me that wants to shout to the world that we might actually be the greatest. But you didn’t hear that from me.
Today, I finally took a moment to check out my “Spotify Wrapped 2024.” I don’t know why I anticipated it so much, but I’ll admit—it’s fun. Competitive even. With myself? Sure. But I couldn’t resist wondering what others are listening to, what they’re “reading”, and which secret Swifties are out there. FYI: no hate to the Swifties, but I’m not one, in case you were curious.
Unfortunately, not many people shared their Wrapped this year. That got me thinking: how could I coax—okay, ruse—people into sharing theirs? And then my ADHD brain hit me with a tangent: Gen X really is the greatest generation of all time. Remember Amoeba Records, Virgin Megastores, Tower Records, and the Columbia Store? And let’s not forget MTV and VH1—the very lifeblood of our musical exposure.
Do you miss aimlessly wandering through a record store, flipping through album covers of your favorite (or soon-to-be favorite) band? The dollar bin, where one-hit wonders went to live out their glory days? And the smell—bookworms have nothing on the stench of that guy rifling through the Tom Waits section, clearly hungover and unshowered for, let’s be honest, weeks.
It was the feeling of belonging, of having no greater mission than finding the perfect track for your next mixtape or CD. These days, nobody gets bored anymore. We’re always glued to our phones, connected to everything but disconnected from that. I miss the half-days spent sampling music at Virgin Records’ fancy listening stations, with their sleek glass interiors and elegantly placed escalators.
Now, we settle for sharing digital JPEGs of what we’re listening to. Hey, anything’s better than nothing. So, I ask you: what’s on your Wrapped this year? Give me the good, the bad, and the ugly. Let me deep dive into your Taylor Swift playlist. Just kidding. 😉
