Kirk Offerle, 40, doesn't think of himself as a Generation Xer, but the restaurateur shares the generation's entrepreneurial spirit. Photo by Ralph Fountain. Connie Chambers, 40, says being happy in your work is important to her generation. She's a dancer in Lance Burton's show.

Generation X, labeled in the 1980s as a group of cynical, apathetic slackers, is all grown up: The oldest members are hitting the big Four-Oh this year.

The group who worshipped Madonna, idolized Michael Jackson and glued themselves to cable television, seemed to embody the worst characteristics of youth when they were teens and young adults. They job-hopped, focused more on leisure time and personal fulfillment than careers and engaged in a lot of searching for the meaning of life.

Things haven't changed much and probably won't, even though they're reaching a midlife milestone, say generational experts.

Those seemingly negative characteristics actually define Generation X, born between 1965 and 1981, and are nothing more than the mark of an individualistic, self-reliant generation, said Chuck Underwood, president and founder of The Generational Imperative, a Cincinnati-based research and consulting company. Not surprisingly, it was the events of their formative years -- the late 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s -- that shaped who they are today.

"They came of age as the least-nurtured generation in American history," said Underwood, 56.

Gen X was the original Latchkey Kid: 40 percent of them were raised in divorced households and came home from school to empty houses. They saw their parents devote themselves to corporate careers, sacrificing personal lives, only to be laid off or otherwise let down by businesses and government.

The Challenger space shuttle exploded, the stock market crashed, the job market tightened and Gen X learned the toughest life lessons at an early age. Despite popular opinion, they didn't roll over and give up.

Gen X "is in the midst of parenthood and trying to grow careers. At age 40 they're eyeing a future differently than other 40-year-olds previously did," Underwood said. "They expect to be financially worse off than previous generations."

They're still job hoppers because they have to be, Underwood said, and they're still seeking personal fulfillment through meaningful vocations, spiritual enlightenment and other approaches.

"They're the ultimate free agents" in the job market, Underwood said. "Their resume is always updated and they are prepared to move if they need to. At age 40, Gen Xers fully expect to be job hopping for the rest of their work years. They don't want it that way, they just consider it a likely reality of their lives."

That's why many Gen Xers embraced entrepreneurial endeavors or careers where they could rely on their creativity, said Stephen Abbott, 38, a New Hampshire native and expert on generational differences. He uses his knowledge of Generation X in his work as a public relations professional and political consultant. He also runs the Web site Stephen's Generation X Site.

Many of the cliches about Gen X -- that they're lazy slackers who don't like to work, don't care about themselves or their future -- are not true, he added.

"That was a very prevalent and damaging stereotype early on in our formation as a generation. I think it's certainly unfounded, because a lot of Gen Xers are extremely hard workers when they find the right thing to do. They don't like to be in jobs that aren't challenging or rewarding and a lot will take jobs that pay less but are a lot more fulfilling," Abbott said.

Connie Chambers, 40, agrees, saying that she feels like she is in the prime of her career as a dancer for Lance Burton.

"How many people are in jobs they're not happy with but they're there because it pays the bills?" asked Chambers, who also owns a restaurant with her husband. "My generation, I think we want to do what makes us happy. I think we believe there can be both career and happiness."

Her husband Kirk Offerle, also 40, said he relates to that entrepreneurial characteristic, even though he doesn't feel like he belongs to any single generation.

"I'm just not a 9-to-5-type person, I tend to follow what I like to do passionately," said Offerle, who runs the couple's restaurant, Jazzed Cafe. A former dancer, he lived and performed in Italy for 10 years. "I've always had my own businesses, I was always an independent contractor, had my own production company, produced my own line of videos."

Because of their formative years, Gen X developed unique core values that position them "for the uniqueness of the present and future workplace," Underwood said. "They're independent, self-reliant, technology savvy, adaptable to change, and they tend to be very focused at their work while on the job."

Contrast that with baby boomers, Underwood said, who are the workaholic generation. They're happy to work extra hours, but they value their personal relationships with co-workers.

"Xers tend to separate their work from personal relationships and they are entrepreneurial. Those are the kind of qualities that the unpredictable workforce will embrace in the coming future," Underwood said. "Xers have plenty of toughness."

They also try to be more involved with their children's lives, Underwood said, having learned firsthand the importance of available parents.

"So many of them grew up with absentee parents that another value is 'I'm going to be there for my kids.' "

A significant number of Gen X women are avoiding all-consuming careers during a child's formative years. Parents also are passing up job promotions that would force them to uproot and move," Underwood said.

One of the major questions for Generation Xers as they reach 40, Underwood noted, is "whether this will be a generation of leaders or better suited as helpers or facilitators to the older boomer generation, which has been a generation of powerful leadership."