Forum: A memo to Boomers:
Published 1:30 am Saturday, August 22, 2026
We are getting old. (Unbelievable!). We have had tremendous influence on our country’s growth, and we hold more wealth than any previous generation. Almost all of us are retired. So now what?
I remember when I decided to retire from teaching music, 20+ years ago, the question everyone asked me was, “What are you going to do?” My flippant answer at the time was, “Whatever I want.” But it has turned out to be more true than flippant.
In order to decide what to do, some refection was needed. First was to again realize why I was a teacher in the first place. I imagined myself as a kind of “Johnny Appleseed” who supplied the seeds and helped plant them, never expecting to see the harvest, but having faith in that harvest. That’s who all teachers really are. We do our best to plant the seeds, but will never know how they have grown. We all teach with faith in our students and their future.
It turns out that retirement is, or can be, an extension of that same faith. Many “Johnny Appleseeds” have volunteered to help our community thrive and grow over the past decades. So thanks to all of you! Those seemingly small efforts of help and kindness are what turns communities into a heritage of riches where the younger generations want to belong. Thankfully, this is happening in Marysville, little by little. Or as my Latino friends like to say, “Pocito pocito.”
So what’s next for us Boomers? The word ringing in my mind is “legacy.” What will we leave behind? Is it just a bunch of stuff our kids have to dispose of? A big house to clean and sell? Or will our lives have made a difference to our family and our community?
In my family, there is an old Dutch saying which when translated says, “Leave the wood piled higher”. In other words, use less than you leave, or, leave it better than you found it. Imagine what our public restrooms would look like, and then imagine what our families and communities would be like if we all tried our best to do this!
I am living a comfortable retired life now, because my wife and I were hard working and thrifty, and because we followed the rules. But we did not get here on our own. We are reaping the harvest sown by our Johnny Appleseed parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and teachers.
They wanted our lives to be better than theirs. They left the wood piled higher. Now, it’s our turn.
Our children went to Marysville schools which were old then and are crumbling now. It’s time to leave the wood piled higher, Marysville. Let’s go!
I am third generation American, our children are fourth, and our grandchildren are fifth generation. Our memories must not fade.
There are many first generation hard working Americans all around us. Be understanding, helpful and generous. Leave the wood piled higher.
Our communities are growing and maturing. We are not looking for survival; we are looking for quality of life where we live. It’s not stuff, or a fancy house, or a fancy car. It’s connection to our families and communities. We boomers help that happen when we stay involved rather than retreating.
We can become the respected elders in our communities. But it takes effort, involvement, and investment of our time and money. In Marysville, we are turning a corner. We have a new Marysville Tulalip Arts Council, because the Arts will help shape our city’s image and identity. Stay tuned!
Let’s all work together and leave the wood piled higher for those to come. That will be our lasting legacy.
Ron Friesen is a Marysville resident, a retired music teacher and community and church musician and is committed to community improvement.
