Birthday DIY Generation X

The above birthday card created for my son reflects the Cold War ethos that I grew up in -- that, and he is really into spies and stuff.

I used to think I was special. My mom told me so. But now that I'm an adult I can see clearly I am a demographic statistic, easily defined by any number of studies. I am a Generation X dad and live in Portland, Oregon, and everything else that follows is merely commentary.

Of particular note for those of us in this demographic is the search for things that are "authentic." Obviously that term is fraught with subjectivity, but for us here in mossland this concept is most often expressed in appreciation for DIY projects (Do It Yourself), or the retail counterpart of small producers doing artisanal stuff.

I must admit if I can be assured something -- especially food items --is done in small batches I'm much more likely to think highly of it even if it means putting botulism into my body. Out of touch national retailers? Bad! Out to lunch local retailers? Good!

I do stuff, too, like open cans of organic products for dinner, feeling smug about how I have chosen authenticity over corporate mismanagement. But the ground zero of my zealotry comes from not purchasing greeting cards, instead DIYing them in my home studio (desk) with my own production facilities (gluestick).

The kids generally enjoy my cards being too young to know any better and my relatives don't complain too vociferously, having realized any critical comment will send me off on a diatribe that starts, "How can you say I"m crazy? I went to your schools, your institutional learning facilities..."