The Half-Century Club

Michael Jackson turned 50 yesterday.  Well, parts of him are 50 anyway but the less we think about his parts, the better. Anyway, he joins a large group of stars that has marked or will mark that milestone this year. Remember when we were kids and 50 seemed incomprehendingly ancient?  50 will be my next “5 or 0″ birthday and although at some point close to this juncture one has to accept that you’re not a kid anymore there’s still a teeny part of your brain that desperately wants to.  And if it doesn’t, you give in exclusively to elastic-waistband pants and sweatshirts with appliqued kittens – so I think it’s wise to live with a bit of delusion! 

Madonna recently turned 50. Ellen Degeneres, Sharon Stone, Michelle Pfeiffer and Prince all hit the big 5-0 earlier this year.  Beautiful and brilliant Caroline Kennedy is 50. Jeff Foxworthy, Ice-T, Jamie-Lee Curtis, Viggo Mortensen, Alan Jackson, Andie McDowell, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Kim Delaney, Angela Bassett, Belinda Carlisle, Holly Hunter, Alec Baldwin, Tanya Tucker, Patricia Heaton, Nikki Sixx – all 50 years old in 2008.

So if 40 is the new 30 is 50 the new 40? No. 50 is the new 50 because people are taking better care of themselves than ever before and we now know that prevention is the key to good health.  And the aforementioned half-century club members all have one thing in common: passion.  They care about their craft and those whom they love. In other words, they have something or someone to live for!