GenJones? No, I'm from Oklahoma

image courtesy GenerationJones.com

In an earlier blog, The Last 50 Years, I talked about things of "my Generation". I always knew about Baby Boomers (old people) or Generation X (young people) but never actually thought I fit into either category.  I sure don’t think of myself as old, but by the same token some of my slightly younger friends seemed to have different interests, taste and upbringing. Not a bad thing, but also not generational. More like “half-generational”. I never really got into the Beatles and Nirvana seemed kind of “out there” for a kid from rural Oklahoma.

While ready something recently I discovered that I am actually part of “tweener” Generation Jones (born 1955-1965).  The phrase was coined by author Jonathan Pontell. It comes from the slang phrase of the time "jonesing" or yearning for something. Heavy, right?

I had never heard of it but it kind of makes sense now. Generation Jones makes up over ¼ of the US population. This generation stuck between Boomers and Gen X are now taking positions of political and business power across the US and the world. Sarah Palin,  Madonna, Brooke Shields, The French President and the Australian Premier are some examples of Jonsers (I had to look all those up)

The website GenerationJones.com summed up some of the differences pretty well in the graphic on the left.

You can take THIS QUIZ to see if you fit into this anonymous generation. 

I still don’t like it that I am starting to get junk mail from AARP, but I guess I can live with that now that I know I am not a Baby Boomer.