by
      STAN
      LIVINGSTONE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      here
      I
      am,
      listening
      to
      Charlatans
      UK.and
      reading
     
     
      "[
      ‘something
      Ihad
      been
      long
      neglecting
      thanks
      to
      countless
     
     
      pitathons
      I
      had
      involved
      myself
      in
      when
      suddenly
      I
      am
     
     
      inspired
      to
      define
      our
      generation.
      This
      may
      seem
      to
      be
      an
     
     
      overwhelming
      undertaking
      and
      that’s
      simply
      because
      it
      is,
      but
     
     
      I
      do
      have
      almost
      two
      months
      of
      journalistic
      experience
     
     
      (overqualified
      may
      be
      the
      word
      that
      you
      were
      grasping
      for)
      and
     
     
      I
      feel
      the
      challenge
      will
      be
      exhilarating.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Now,
      don’t
      put
      out
      your
      thumb
      to
      hitch
      a
      ride
      on
      that
      judgemen-
     
     
      tal
      band
      wagon
      just
      yet,
      you
      may
      actually
      get
      something
      worth-
     
     
      while
      out
      of
      this.
      Please,
      read
      on.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I,
      myself,
      for
      one
      brief
      moment
      felt
      as
      though
      I
      should
      apologize
     
     
      to
      you
      my
      reader
      for
      being
      somewhat
      hasty
      in
      judging
      your
     
     
      character,
      but
      I
      have
      decided
      that
      it
      will
      be
      my
      policy
      not
      to
      be
     
     
      apologetic
      for
      anything
      I
      say.
      It
      would
      then
      lack
      conviction.
      If
     
     
      all
      this
      policy
      talk
      sounds
      a
      bit
      ‘‘Guardian-Patriot-’’esque,
      too
     
     
      bad.
      Anyhow,
      back
      to
      the
      topic
      at
      hand
      --defining
      our
      genera-
     
     
      tion,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      truly
      believe
      that
      a
      definition
      is
      necessary.
      After
      all,
      would
     
     
      -yourather
      have
      some
      thirty-eight
      year
      old
      froma
      yuppie
      maga-
     
     
      tine
      tackle
      this
      issue
      or
      one
      of
      your
      own?
      And
      yes,
      I
      realize
      that
     
     
      Imay
      seem
      bitter
      to
      every
      person
      outside
      the
      spectrum
      of
      my
     
     
      own
      age
      group,
      but
      I
      feel
      no
      obligation
      to
      give
      an
      explanation,
     
     
      -andifI
      did
      I
      would
      just
      say
      that
      itis
      for
      effect.
      Idon’tneed
      any
     
     
      yuppie
      death
      threats.
      Oh
      yes,
      the
      definition.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ifyou
      have
      yet
      to
      make
      that
      previously
      suggested
      subscription
     
     
      ‘o
      ‘‘Rolling
      Stone’’
      I
      should
      inform
      you
      that
      we,
      the
      resented
     
     
      ‘wentysomethings,
      are
      known
      to
      much
      of
      the
      outside
      world
      as
     
     
      “slackers’’.
      Now,
      we
      could
      become
      dysfunctional
      towards
      the
     
     
      World
      around
      us
      because
      of
      this
      term
      that
      has
      recklessly
      in-
     
     
      fected
      our
      vocabulary,
      but
      why
      bother
      with
      the
      effort.
      We
      have
     
     
      Nore
      important
      things
      to
      do
      like
      going
      to
      pubs
      and
      movies,
      going
     
     
      ‘0
      the
      mall
      to
      push
      that
      credit
      limit
      to
      new
      and
      expensive
     
     
      boundaries,
      and
      so
      on.
      You
      know
      the
      story
      of
      your
      lives
      so
      Ineed
     
    
   
   
    
     
      hottellit.
      Slackers
      --
      really,
      where
      did
      they
      come
      up
      with
      this
     
     
      Stuff,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      One
      on
      the
      other
      side
      of
      the
      generational
      fence
      might
      venture
     
     
      ‘0
      say
      when
      being
      kind
      that
      we
      are
      just
      casual
      and
      laid
      back
      --
     
     
      4.
      Crew
      catalogue
      then
      is
      quite
      representational
      of
      our
      entire
     
     
      *8¢
      group.
      Oh
      yes,
      we
      just
      stand
      around
      flaunting
      our
      radiance
     
     
      ‘0
      complete
      relaxation.
      We
      are
      so
      carefree
      and
      devoid
      of
      all
     
     
      Worries
      concerning
      those
      five
      exams
      in
      the
      coming
      week
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      learning.
      Long
      Live
      UPEI!
      gy
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Trials
      and
      Tribulations
     
     
      ofa
      twentysomething
     
    
   
   
    
     
      four
      papers
      due
      yesterday.
     
    

    
     
      To
      tell
      you
      the
      truths)I’
      don*t
      think
      we
      need
      a
      definition.
     
     
      Definitions
      are
      to
      explain
      the
      misunderstood,
      and
      those
      in
      the
     
     
      dark
      about
      us
      will
      have
      to
      find
      the
      light
      switch
      themselves.
      It
     
     
      is
      rather
      novel,
      this
      idea
      of
      being
      the
      group
      targeted
      by
      the
     
     
      establishment
      to
      explain
      our
      lifestyle,
      our
      clothes,
      our
      music,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      not
      to
      mention
      our
      morals
      and
      beliefs.
      Enjoy
      this
      centre
      stage
     
     
      position
      while
      youcan
      for
      someday
      we’
      Il
      be
      in
      the
      questioning
     
     
      position.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Drawing
      this
      to
      aclose
      (I
      have
      a
      paper
      due
      I
      have
      left
      to
      the
      last
     
     
      minute)
      I
      realize
      that
      I
      did
      not
      achieve
      the
      goal
      I
      set
      out
      to,
      but
     
     
      I
      guess
      that’s
      just
      the
      ‘‘slacker’’
      coming
      out
      in
      me.
      Until
      the
     
     
      next
      time,
      I
      will
      give
      you
      something
      to
      do
      as
      a
      mechanism
      for
     
     
      procrastination.
      Write
      hate
      mail
      to
      the
      editor
      of
      ‘‘Goal’s”’
      inan
     
     
      attempt
      to
      stand
      up
      in
      defense
      of
      this
      fine
      institution
      of
      higher