Here’s how I know I’m getting old:

• I officially become a senior citizen in two months.
• My granddaughter officially becomes a teenager, also in two months.
• I got my Medicare card.
• I still get deluged by flyers for various Medicare Advantage programs.
• My arm is still sore three days after setting up my new office desk. The thing weighs 97 pounds (44 kilograms) and required tightening 23 screws with an Allen wrench.
• My wife and I get senior citizen discounts without us even asking.

What does it mean to be a senior citizen in 2026?

For starters, I know I’m years away from retirement. I hope I’m many more years away from retiring from consciousness, but I’m looking at options for what to do with my body when it stops functioning. But I also think about my responsibility as being an elder in this society.

Previous generations of elders made a promise to younger generations, “We want you to have a better life than we had, and we will do everything we can to make it happen for you.” It was the promise my grandparents, who emigrated to this country and lived through World War I, made to my parents. And it was the promise my parents, who lived through the Great Depression and World War II, made to my brother and me.

My generation, the boomers, is the first one to break that promise. Instead of passing on the benefits our ancestors worked so hard to give us, we clung onto them for ourselves. Or worse, we denied them to younger generations. There’s no more fitting example than the biggest baby boomer of them all, the one who turns 80 next month and plans an MMA match on his front lawn to celebrate.

But I haven’t forgotten that promise, and I believe there are many of my generation who feel the same way. When young people feel they can’t have a sliver of the opportunities we’ve had, when they’re constantly told, “You will own nothing and like it,” when they are drowning in debt and despair, our responsibility for fulfilling that promise becomes even greater.

Part of it is getting politically active. We need to get the corrupt, the racists, the misogynists, and the fascists out of government at all levels. For those of us who have the time, we should staff the phones, organize programs, and participate in public demonstrations so younger people who have to work and take care of children don’t have to. Support organizations and candidates who want to make a better future for our children and grandchildren.

On a person-to-person level, we should mentor young people. Help them develop their skills. Offer guidance. Build their confidence. I remember the teachers and mentors who helped me when I was growing up. Now’s the time to pay it forward.

However, with everything that happened on that particular island, we must understand why young people would feel overly cautious around older people, especially men. This is another part of the promise our generation has broken, and trust will take time and effort to rebuild. One way we can do this is by centering young people in their growth process. It’s not about us and our needs; it’s about them reaching their full potential.

And that’s the other thing our generation can do: Step aside. The future belongs to the young, so let them take charge. Let them have the prime opportunities. Teach them how to do your work so they can take it on when you’re no longer there. We’re planting trees whose shade we’ll never rest under. But they will be there for future generations to enjoy.

As we approach the end of our lives, we think about our legacy. What greater legacy can we leave than to make the world better for the generations that follow us?  That’s why we need to renew our promise to younger generations that our parents and grandparents made to us, “We want you to have a better life than what we had, and we will do everything we can to make it happen for you.”

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