"Mattering"

Why Does it Matter?

Opinion: Morgan Hinkleman

When people think about retirement, they often think about financial preparation. But studies show this might be only part of the puzzle when it comes to a sense of fulfillment in retirement. Jennifer Breheny Wallace talks about this sense of mattering in her article, The Retirement Crisis No One Warns You About: Mattering. Mattering is so much more complicated and important than many of us realize, and I think it all stems from the idea that we stop becoming. Or in other words, we believe that our value and purpose we work all our lives to understand and establish, goes away once we stop working. Why should it?

Wallace describes how very few of us prepare for what she calls “…our mattering span, or how we will continue to feel seen, useful and capable of making a difference in this next chapter of life.” At the core, Wallace wants us to understand that mattering is the “sense that we are valued by others and that we have value to add to the world.” Lifestyle planning is the strongest predictor of retirement satisfaction and mental health, which can be seen in the testimonies Wallace shares. Julie Mahoney’s story particularly, demonstrates how to take the right steps back to mattering. Throughout these testimonies, each person, “had carried a thread of their former identity into their next chapter.” Read more about Wallace’s ideas here!

This idea of mattering is extremely impactful and continually comes up when we talk about aging. But why? While I completely agree with Wallace, I think there is an even deeper meaning here rooted in what society tells us about aging in general. Society pushes subliminal and some very overt messaging onto us regarding aging, often linked to ageism. Mattering isn’t something that just comes up later in life, lots of us deal with finding ways to matter as we go through major transitions, moves, jobs, etc. However, popular stereotypes tell us aging and then retiring, means you are not of use to society anymore. This is one of the reasons I believe what Wallace is talking about in her article, is a problem in the first place. Yes, lifestyle planning is extremely important for retirees to stay active and involved, giving them a sense of usefulness. But when did we, as a society stop respecting and depending on our elders as important pillars of knowledge? A lot of the ads, sentiment, and language we see in our day to day seems to want to combat against aging. But I think that when we start embracing aging, and stop thinking about seniors as past their prime, the problem of mattering will improve. Who you have worked to be your entire life, and the valuable lessons learned along the way don’t stop just because you don’t have a job anymore. In fact, having those experiences will continue to inspire, shape, and help the next generations and those around you if you believe that you are still useful and matter.

You are still becoming.

It’s not just an older adult thing; it’s an intergenerational thing. If I’m being honest, if you would have told me this a few months ago, I may not have understood it – and I’m nowhere near an expert. But now, being in a position where we are trying to change that narrative at Still Hopes, it becomes almost impossible to deny the cacophony of noise surrounding growing older. I hope to be a voice that contributes to this topic, and I hope to do that with my capstone project. I will be working on a project in an effort to highlight the residents here at Still Hopes and shed light on what senior living is really like. The misconception around older adults is especially prevalent when thinking about the retirement community environment, and I want to help change that! I have decided to produce and host video podcast-style sit down interviews featuring the residents here, where we will explore topics that challenge these ideas.