49 f here. I have a degree in English Lit and try and dress like a Ralph Lauren/St. John catalog. I use "dude" all the time to this day.

I wouldn't use it in a professional environment, but definitely use it when talking within my close social circle.

"Dude" just fits so many situations perfectly.

Dude??= are you nuts?

Dude!!!= its been 10 years since we last met.

Dude...=Two cars collide right in front of you. Everyone in the vehicles gets out safely and then both cars explode.

Edit: Dude, you guys fucking rock.

So... I'm a younger Gen X, 46 years old. I've spent my whole life not thinking twice about the sun: the occasional bad burn, the odd mole I never bothered to look at... and unfortunately i was never really taught to put sunscreen, evn when i was a kid.

I got a mole on my back checked with an app after someone suggested it might be worth looking at.

I finally decided to get it properly checked. I figured the dermatologist would glance me over, tell me to wear more sunscreen, and send me on my way.

Instead, during the skin exam, the doctor flagged a mole on my back that didn't look right. A biopsy later, and now I might have melanoma.

Get checked, guys. Seriously. Skin cancer is coming for our generation.

Could be either a classmate, a friend of a friend, a fellow girl scout troop member, a fellow congregant, maybe a parent’s friend or coworker.

I was told that this is no longer allowed.

She's choppin' Brcooollaaay!

The sacred teachings of J R "Bob" Dobbs (Ivan Stang) managed to capture the pre-Internet GenX zeitgeist pretty well I thought. Plus just amusing

I never went to preschool-- just straight to kindergarten after I turned five. (I could already read by the time I started kindergarten, so there's that.) Nowadays it seems like every kid goes to preschool. Actually, it's seemed that way for a few decades now. I guess I'm trying to figure out if not going to preschool was a Gen X thing or just something specific to my family.

When my parent's downsized, my mother pushed a ton of "heirlooms" on me. This weird baby book thing that had my fingerprints, my baby teeth the tooth fairy kept, a lock of hair from my first haircut, and my dried out umbilical cord. I told her I'd help her downsize that right into the garbage, but apparently that was the wrong answer and it hurt her a bit. Seriously though, what am I going to do with a bunch of dead teeth and hair from 50 years ago?

I now have shoeboxes of black and white photos of relatives I've never met nor can identify because nobody wrote their names on them and my parents seem vague about it being someone's cousin's cousin or something. Old train sets. My cub scout uniform. My grandmother's baby shoes from 1911. My great grandfather's reading glasses from the late 1800s who I never met. It's all in a box in my crawlspace in case they ever ask for proof that I have it. I don't want any of it, there's no nostalgia tied to it for me, but I also feel awful throwing it out because it was so important to them?

Anyone else feel this or have the same trash? I hear of people refusing the fancy china sets, it's not nostalgic if you were never allowed to eat off it.

Man, for a moment it was like i was standing right there in that kitchen in the summertime.

All the neighborhood kids’ moms had them in their freezers, and we did too. We didn’t have to wait for the friends to come over to have them, though, we could have them on a hot summer day if we wanted them. Thanks mom!

Man they were good.

Good times lol. Miss you mom and your 1975 kitchen haha!

Remember when they were everywhere? On the counter at the gas station? In a bowl at restaurants?

I don't smoke anymore, but that sulfur smell was never far away.

I know 4 Christine’s and they are all the same age, 54-55. I don’t see kids with this name (educator, I see a lot of kids). I know a million Jennifer’s but don’t see anyone under 45 with this name.
What names from our GenX era do you not see coming around again?

Back in the day it was the thing for parents to put their toddlers in these shoes to help them learn how to walk. Probably recommended by our cigarette smoking Pediatrician.

Some parents even bronzed them and put them on the mantle or hung them from their rearview.

Wonder why that was a thing? Thinking kids needed those to learn to walk properly. I had them.

My kids did not and they walk just fine.

Did you have them?

My Instacart order included alcohol, met the delivery guy at the door, exchanged pleasantries, gave him my id for the alcohol and he busted up laughing, laughing like someone said the funniest thing he had ever heard. I assumed he had an earbud in, talking to someone else, as delivery peeps often do. He was laughing and shaking his head, and I was intrigued, I said he must be listening to something hilarious, he said “nah, I am cracking up because they MAKE me ask you this, ma’am, are you over the age of 21?” More laughing.
I am well past 21 and past the age of caring, and I obviously look older than 21. It was so unexpected and so innocent, that I too, busted up laughing, tipped him an extra $5.
It’s a choice at this point, laugh or cry.

Ok, I'm a 53 F, and I've taken the last five years to focus on myself, including grieving my divorce and learning to love myself again.

I consciously chose to get on a few Dating sites, thinking that was the logical place to start; it's been awful! No one wants to "go out on a date", I get invited over to their homes immediately. Do guys understand it's not about going out wining and dining, it's about safety? -OR-

I'll go out with someone (usually younger) and I have the best time, vibes are right- only to be ghosted within a day!

I don't understand what it is that I need to be doing differently. If a guy texts me, I respond. I'm not clingy, but I adore attention. I match energy. I listen empathetically. I don't push myself onto people, but I'm honest about my feelings. I'm understanding of the past, because at our age we all have one. I know a lot of us were hurt, but we also deserve love.

I'd love to hear a single Gen X man's perspective on this, TIA

Did anyone actually follow through on Lloyd Dobler’s principals for his career choices ahead of him? Did you make (are making) it through your career sticking to them? If so, how?

I can remember growing up and Sunday was always a day to be spent with family. Most stores were closed and it was considered a day of rest. Even after all these years, it doesn't seem like the new generations do, ilI still feel like it's still a day of rest. When I have to work on a Sun, and it's rare, I feel like doing my bare minimum. Anyone else?

Was telling my kids about the days of the “tabloids” after they got pissed at me for saying “inquiring minds want to know”. Got me thinking of Ed Anger and the other dumb things they used to write about.

Ok genxrs, looking for songs that kick you in the face from the first note and don't let up until the last note fades away. No ballads, no slow burns ( looking at you Led Zeppelin). Songs that make you forget your age and all the crap that comes with it. Songs that make you instantly 17 again for 3 minutes 30 seconds.

I will start. Ratt lay it down

People today will never know the fear of an ATM taking your debit card while the transaction was occurring. I always panicked a bit every time.

What are some other fears younger generations will never know?

Every generation has its defining fashion trends.

Who wore this staple - and what gear did you have?

I was too young to smoke, but my Dad’s friends collected so much gear they would just give it to me. At age 13, I had a Marlboro wallet, shirt, denim jacket, and hat.

My Dad’s friends smoked so much they cashed in their Marlboro miles and got the white leather jacket. It was their prized possession only to be broken out on special occasions.

My daughter just turned 12 and I can’t imagine dressing her in Marlboro gear. The thought alone gives me a chuckle.

My spouse and I are currently in a disagreement on weather or not we should assist our son (25) and his wife with a down-payment for a home. Last time they visited he mentioned they were saving to buy a home. When they left I suggested we help them. My wife flipped out and said we've spoiled him enough, we paid for his college and his current vehicle (bought for college), their wedding and honeymoon. Her stance is we purchased a home with no help and they should too. I feel different, it's something we can afford to do financially and why not give them a head start? I'm guessing it will take them years to save enough. They both work full-time and are responsible adults, they never ask us for money. As a compromise I mentioned lending them the money which made her silent. For now I've let the issue go. It was much easier for us to buy a home in the 90s versus today I feel. Anyone else go through something similar with their spouse and kids?

Edit: I appreciate all the great feedback. Some of the comments are questioning if helping him is affordable to us. We are in a very fortunate position with zero debt and our retirement is already funded.

So I was talking with the wife earlier and came upon how was always criticized as a teenager,47 male here, for “knowing all those damn songs but not your multiplication tables!” We were just listening to music for about an hour and I knew every word to every song that played, granted they are on my phone. Which got me to thinking how many songs I have memorized. I know entire albums by heart. Can anyone even put a number on how many ? Before my phone all I did was listen to music.