Generational War: We Still Got The Numbers

In these hard times, they're also hearing strong rumblings of discontent from Generation X. They're the 32- to 44-year-olds who are wedged between baby boomers and their children, often feeling like forgotten middle siblings — and increasingly restless at work as a result.

"All of a sudden, we've gone from being the young upstarts to being the curmudgeons," says Bruce Tulgan, a generational consultant who's written books about various age groups, including his fellow Gen Xers.

Yeah, like you wouldn't grow old. Or were a bunch of bad-asses, at least to some extent:

In recent years, though, more members of the generation — stereotyped early on as jaded individualists — had families or began settling down in other ways. It was time, they thought, to enjoy the rewards of paying some dues.

"We were starting to buy into the system, at least to some extent," Tulgan says, "and then we got the rug pulled out from under us."

That what the system does, cretin. None of your book-learnin' or book-'riting taught you that? That's why you aren't supposed to buy into the system, which of course had you sad sheep by the short & curlies before you had short & curlies.

Further whining.