An American Legacy
A megaphone blasts from inside a blowup unicorn costume, chanting reproachful words on a street corner to onlookers. It’s a crisp and cool January day, with a warming sun overhead in a bluebird sky – perfect conditions to be outside. The contradictory juxtaposition of a bouncing rainbow tail and thrashing words serves as a metaphor for the dissonant feelings circling our society.
Things are happening here. Not somewhere out there, but at home, and all around us – whether we like to admit it or not. Standing in the middle of a “Free America” protest, I take in the crowd. What strikes me most isn’t the words being shouted, but the faces. The median age of this picketing lot hovers near 65. Many retirees live in this beautiful sunshine state, and with it being prime snowbird season, it is not unusual to see a few blue hairs out and about. However, this is not what I expected from our aging generation. These folks didn’t come down here to live out the rest of their days in heaven’s waiting room. Instead, they remain engaged in the ever-changing dynamic of our community and country.
I cross the street to immerse myself further and stand near the crosswalk with Sharon, 79, a retired schoolteacher from New York City now living in downtown St. Pete. Sharon recalls memories from protests against the Vietnam War and rallies for women’s lib. Her parents were Holocaust survivors. For her, publicly standing out against injustice isn’t radical; it’s second nature.
Speaking with others who have protested their whole adult lives, I am reminded of my rights as a citizen. There is nothing more American than huddled masses gathering in the streets to have their voices heard. It is a founding value of this country. These citizens, in their golden years, continue doing just what they were taught to do by those before them.
I stand on the curb in a blue dot within a red state, beside a retired teacher, and begin to see that priceless generational knowledge is abundant, and free! It doesn’t just pass down from parent to child. It is provided in all forms by the elders of our communities.
In this experience, I am reminded of times not so far past, and that we have a choice – a responsibility. We can put our heads in the sand and accept the status quo. Or we can learn from those who have come before us, and show up for life: our lives, and the lives that we share with one another.
What do we have to lose if we let our voices be heard?
What do we lose if we choose to stay silent?
The choice is ours.
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Published on: January 20, 2026
Location: Williams Park, St. Petersburg, Florida
