On Thursday evening in the MJ Twitter overload I sent out the tweet “Wasn’t a huge Jacko fan but he was a music legend… It’s sad he’s died so young.” To which I received the reply “not that young and he was 50”.

I was horrified. Horrified at the idea that 50 was old. At the age of 26 I am now over half way there, but most definitely not halfway to being old. Sure I might develop a few wrinkles and grey hairs over the next 24 years but there is no way that mentally I will be “old” by then. I haven’t even become a proper adult yet.

Isn’t 30 the new 20 these days? You’re not expected to really have started to grow up at all by the time you reach the big 3-0. I remember when I was 16 and misguidedly thought I’d be all grown up by now. Sure friends are getting married and having children, but it doesn’t mean they’re all mature and responsible. It just means they’ve realised there’s no point in waiting for the day when they might be those things, they just get on with life in the meantime.

Take my parents as an example. They’re in their 60s. Admittedly mum is getting a bit forgetful, but that’s a process that starts very early in our family (about the age of 10!). And sure Dad gets a touch of grumpy-old-man-itis every now and then, but I can think of at least one friend who’s my age that could give him a run for his money. (Plus Dad makes up for it by being lovely most of the time!) But neither of them are “old”. My childhood friends are shocked when they realise the age of my parents (“They can’t be old enough to be retired!”) and if anything both of them are bigger kids now they haven’t got the stresses and pressures of work to cope with.

On holiday with a group of friends a couple of years ago someone asked “What do you think we’ll be like when we’re retired?” I looked around at us sat drinking copious amounts of wine, playing card games and putting the world to rights whilst slowly getting very drunk. I replied “Pretty much exactly the same as we are now!”

So I would like to take a stand against 50 being old. When I’m 50 the silliness will still be there (My 7 year old niece pointed out that as I didn’t marry young I have developed to full levels of silliness and will be silly forever), I intend to be enjoying life, sex and everything else, probably more than I do now!!! I may not be quite the standard of Samantha in Sex and the City (I wouldn’t get away with that dress now, never mind in 24 years time!) but I most definitely don’t want to be considered old and past it!