by Katherine Matiko
We have all read scores of articles about the coronavirus pandemic by now. What more can possibly be said about the hot mess we find ourselves in?
I would prefer to write about how family, friends, fitness, faith, food and fun can make retirement the best chapter of our lives. But all that seems a bit trite at the moment.
How does one write an uplifting article about retirement when many people my age – who have lost their savings in the market crash, can’t see their grandkids and are worried sick about their elderly parents – are slowly realizing that this gut-wrenching uncertainty might become a way of life?
As older adults, we have already experienced many triumphs and disappointments. Can we survive and thrive even during a time of global upheaval?
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, gero-psychologist Brian Carpenter says that because older adults tend to look at the pandemic as “one event in a life that has unfolded over many decades…[and] often take more of a philosophical perspective. In that way, they have the opportunity to help younger people think about it in that way, too.”
Contentment can be elusive for baby-boomers. We have been inclined to want more and better – jobs, houses, vacations, vehicles, clothes, experiences. Now, we need to be content with our homes as they are, our families as they are, our jobs (if we still have them) as they are because, as long as the world is on hold, so are we, in many ways.
And while we don’t want to think about it all that much, as older adults we are at higher risk of succumbing to the disease. Yes, we have a lot of living yet to do, but the fact remains that our lives might be curtailed. It is a sobering thought.
As Winnipeg-based author and songwriter Steve Bell says, “So much of our cultural energy is spent on an outright denial of death, be it through anti-aging creams, pharmaceuticals to extend our sexual vitality, apps to butter up our photos, or other behaviours or misbehaviours that distract us from the inevitability of life’s end.
“Imagine the creative energy and resources that would explode out of a society that quits trying not to die, and instead gives itself to the mutual fullness of life while it is in our hands.”
We need to take every precaution to keep ourselves, our loved ones and our neighbours safe during the pandemic, but we also need to start living again. We may have to strike the European vacation off our bucket list for now, but what about all the life-giving ventures we can pursue right here, right now?
As this crisis fades and we re-enter a new world, those of us in our retirement years must somehow find a way to live with the uncertainty and – finally – make contentment a way of life.
Long-time Sundance resident Katherine Matiko is exploring ways to make retirement a time of significant change for herself and inspiration for others. How is retirement going for you? Let Katherine know your thoughts at [email protected].
