A few weeks ago, I read a story about a bar in Philadelphia that had figured out something the alcohol industry is beginning to understand: Gen X is still going out, but we may want to do it a little earlier.
The bar was hosting a Prince-themed dance party. There was purple, dancing, cocktails, and a crowd that was mostly over 50. The party started at 7:30 p.m., which made me laugh because, honestly, that sounds about right. I am old enough to remember when going out at 10 p.m. was considered early, and I am now old enough to understand that being home by 10 p.m. can be one of the best decisions I make all night.
The story got me thinking about Gen X because we are in a strange place. We were raised in a culture where drinking was woven into almost everything. We met people at bars, celebrated with drinks, drank after work, drank on vacation, drank because it was Friday and drank because it was Tuesday and somebody had a bottle of wine. Alcohol wasn’t always the event. It was simply part of the event, and for many of us, that distinction barely existed.
Now we are living in a completely different conversation about what it means to take care of ourselves. We are being told to protect our sleep, build muscle, manage stress, pay attention to metabolic health, think about cardiovascular health and start thinking seriously about longevity. Many of us are taking care of aging parents while raising children, helping adult children financially, managing careers and trying to figure out what the hell happened to our knees.
