By Victoria Koch 

There is an old Buddhist story about an older man and his son walking along a receding river path where there are many stranded out-of-the-water fish. As they walk, the older man keeps picking up a fish and throwing it back into the water. “Why do you keep helping them?” asks his son. “There are too many fish and you can’t help them all.” 

The father picked up another fish and as he threw it in the water he replied, “I helped that one.”

Back in January, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday was my third march of the year. It was followed by a march from Alton Baker Park coinciding with the Washington, D.C., Capitol People’s March for our deserved freedoms. And then the next day was basically an anti-Trump, anti-authoritarian rally and pro-democracy march with some incredible speakers from the Green Party, the anarchists, the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

It’s only continued from there, and I must admit I am tired. 

What really makes me tired, however, are some of my friends who don’t believe that marching and rallying in Eugene is seen, known or does any good, and my friends who don’t bother to sign petitions, write get-out-the-vote postcards, and who continue to ignore what’s truly happening in our country. 

I admit these all may be small steps of defiant visibility. And I know I do withdraw at times from television and newspaper reading. But my aching heart doesn’t let me withdraw for long.

I am feeling so discouraged by the actions of our president and his cronies. Does Donald Trump actually have the right to declare there are only two genders, male and female? That trans people can no longer be patriots and serve their country in the military? That hard-working, immigrant families doing jobs most white people would rather not do can be rounded up and sent back to their home country? For many of these immigrants and asylees, America has become their safer home and they are positively contributing a great deal to their communities.

As my friend and I arrived at the above marches, her husband had helped make the signs we carried. These signs read, “Radical Elders.” And this is what I am going to strive for: 

I want to become a “Radical Elder.” I may be in my 70s, but my heart, mind and body are vital and ready to kick ass with my words, my presence at gatherings I believe in, as a supporter of the younger, wise, progressive, up-and-coming younger generations. My daughter and other young people I meet are my ongoing teachers about what a real democracy, a truly compassionate and diverse community needs to look like. And this must include fairness and help for the poor, the homeless, our immigrants. 

We must acknowledge Native Americans as our original citizens, give reparations to all people of color, understand that love is love and there are more than two genders. Indeed, America has never truly been a democracy in the first place. 

During these last political years and happenings around the world, I have often wanted to apologize to all young people for the awful mess we humans have gotten ourselves into. Why is humanity so stupid? Killing each other right and left! Ignoring climate change. Believing in domination and corruptive power! 

I have met many young people who are out there fighting the good fight and if I can become the radical elder I envision, I want them to see that the older generation has their backs. These young people are my hope and I want to give them hope. 

“Steadfast”
Though a cold
wind is howling,
we’re not birds
without wings —
and as long as we
have voices
let us sing together,
sing of freedom,
sing what’s true,
Let us sing.

  — Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

Victoria Koch is a mother, a retired teacher, a writer, a gardener and lover of the positive human spirit. She frequently writes Local and Vocal viewpoints on immigration and other issues for Eugene Weekly.