Gen X definitely had an impact on popular culture that hasn't been forgotten. For example, I'd say modern club culture started with Generation X. It has evolved

Gen X definitely had an impact on popular culture that hasn't been forgotten. For example, I'd say modern club culture started with Generation X. It has evolved since then, but it certainly wasn't the same at the time when baby boomers were young. As for what it means to be part of a generation, all generations disperse as people get older. It's harder to build a shared identity over common experiences as people's overall life experiences vary wildly. If I've read right, and it's the connection you miss, the answer is to connect with people as individuals. We are always more than the labels we assign to ourselves anyway.