Yindie, Yupster or Grup???

This recent article in New York Magazine fascinated me. I read it with interest and even held onto my copy for whatever reason.

It speaks to a phenomenon that I was certainly aware of long before the article addressed it about myself and many of my late 20s, early/mid 30s and even 40s friends. I was not sure how to express this odd twist of culture that seemingly has a rather strong hold on my generation--so I am glad someone finally did.

Embarrassingly enough a decent part of the article focusses on Brooklynites--many in my dear neighborhood of Park Slope. Now I would look around and see similarly dressed 30 somethings as myself when I was out and about grabbing my iced coffee and think nothing of it. Sportin' their/our Converse, "old" jeans and Brooklyn sweatshirt, or a variation of that outfit. It only seemed natural. So what we are in our 30s? And this whole culture of not wanting to grow up (or at least accepting the stereotypes that go along with growing older) is widespread across the U.S. I don't shun this label of yindie, yupster, grup or whatever. I think it describes me quite well--although I have never, and most likely will never (save, I win the lottery) buy $250 jeans. I don't so much have a fear of growing up. I don't *really*. I just don't accept everything that comes with age.

I have a strong fear of suntan pantyhose. Is there anything wrong with that? I am scared of ending up in a boxy grey suit. I am paranoid about cutting my hair again for fear I will look like an office frou. I want to work from home (and am still trying to figure that one out). Being around people my age that have "grown up" just freaks me out. There are many things, I think, this group of people still want to experience in life that they/we aren't ready to hurry up and die.

Or one could look at it another way. There was a time when your 30s was considered elderly. You were lucky to even reach your 30s--and you should have squeezed out at least 10 children by that point. With age expectancy increasing, perhaps this is just an early sign of ones teen years and 20s expanding a bit more to make way for a lengthy lifespan--say 120?? If living to be 120 becomes the norm, then there is certainly plenty of time for us to grow old and stretch out our youth and all that it offers just a little bit longer.