Join Martie McNabb as she welcomes gerontologist Jacob Kendall to discuss the stories behind meaningful objects. This episode explores how college football, family, and changing times shape our memories and values.
* Jacob Kendall’s connection to Alabama football and his late father through a championship game
ticket
* The evolution of college football and its impact on lifelong fans
* Navigating feelings about memorabilia, memory, and what we leave behind
* The importance of traditions, stories, and community beyond physical keepsakes
* Jacob Kendall’s work in gerontology and his Four Dimensional Aging model
In this episode of Things That Matter, I, Martie McNabb, sat down with Jacob Kendall, a gerontologist passionate about reframing how we see aging. We kicked things off just like show and tell in elementary school, with Jacob Kendall sharing a deeply meaningful object—a ticket stub from the 2012 BCS National Championship game in New Orleans between “his” team Alabama vs LSU.
He told me, “The special part of my fandom is my relationship with my dad,” recalling a lifetime of Alabama football games they attended together. Though his father wasn’t at that particular championship game, the ticket still serves as a powerful reminder: “Even when I see this ticket, even though he wasn’t there, I think about him because that was like a culmination of having grown up as an Alabama fan and I finally got to see them win a national title in person”
We explored how the landscape of college football has shifted. Jacob Kendall reflected, “Because of these changes, do you find yourself liking the game less and less? My answer is yes. And all their answers are yes.” Despite his nostalgia, he’s faced with the reality that what tied him so tightly to the sport—his father and the shared rituals—have changed, and so has the sport itself.
When I asked what should happen to this treasured ticket stub after he’s gone, Jacob Kendall was candid: “I don’t know that I really care especially… it’s becoming more and more of a memory and less and less of tied to a physical thing”. He emphasized that for his family, traditions and stories matter more than possessions.
We rounded out our talk with Jacob Kendall sharing his approach to gerontology, challenging one-dimensional views on aging: “If we don’t embrace that reality, then we’re just not gonna be able to address, adequately address, the challenges that come with an aging population” 19:39. His work encourages us all to see aging through a broader, more positive lens—focusing not on decline but on life’s ever-shifting stories and connections.
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To find out more about this beautiful human doing important healing work in the world visit: https://www.jacobevanskendall.com/
Or connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobevanskendall/
or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacobevanskendall/
Are you looking to build deeper connections, community & legacy with your employees, volunteers, donors, community, alumni, family, friends, residents, team or event participants? Hire me to host a unique story-sharing gathering, playshop, exhibition or retreat. Email me at martie at showandtales dot com
Have a story of a special item you’d love to share? Reach out to Martie McNabb at info at showandtales dot com and be part of a future episode with the Subject line: Podcast Guest✨
If you were asked “What Things would tell your life story?” What Things would you choose? Look around your home, office & even on yourself …. what Things do you surround yourself with & what stories would they tell? Grab my My Life in 30 Things playsheet to list your Things that matter here: https://www.showandtales.com/30-things-story/
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