After delivering a training session on Friday, I was making idle chit-chat, enquiring about people’s weekend plans. I said I was quite excited about going to see the “Bee Gees”.

I got some blank looks.

“What’s a Bee Gee?” one guy asked.

“You’re jive talking, right?” I said.

But no.

Then it dawned on me: a good portion of the room was possibly quite that young. I hadn’t noticed — because I hadn’t noticed that I’m quite that old. It was rather a shocking realisation.

I’ve always been the youngest: sibling, in my year at school, among my social circle (precocious as I was).

I always assume that everyone is my senior, or at least my age — or I am their age. But if they haven’t heard of the Bee Gees? (just to clarify, I was quite little when the real ones were around, but still).

I am suddenly aware that there is a large group of adults with presence and opinions I respect, that are a whole generation my junior. They are “young”. So where does that leave me?

This year sees in a new decade for me. My childhood BFF celebrates her birthday this weekend. Perhaps it’s just an awareness of the potential fire hazard of our cakes that alarms me.

It’s just a number after all, right? But this past year I’ve noticed that my body seems to be tuning into that number a good deal more.

Looking at myself in the mirror recently it was like, ‘where did this body come from?’ I barely recognised it. We joke about the effects of gravity, particularly on women, but I wasn’t seeing the funny side.

And my skin, not quite clinging to my bones as it once did. I always called it “old people skin” … and now I have it. And it’s just what happens — all the vitamins and press-ups in the world can’t re-stick it.

And the weird, unexpected things that just start to appear. Nobody warns you about them.

All just part of nature’s gentle decline — though it feels more like a luge! And this is just the beginning.

I am ageing, and it’s scaring me. But I’m not sure why.

Perhaps it’s because although we all age, we tend to pretend we don’t. We hide it, ignore it … magazines literally gloss over it. Some cut, lift or inject it away. Wearing our years, it seems, is a faux pas to be avoided.

While I would agree that we should “not go gentle into that good night”, I think this involves more than just the anti-wrinkle cream we use.

Need we glorify youth and disregard experience? Yes, let the young ones have their day … and enjoy their tight skin, but let’s also appreciate what age and experience bring — in all forms.

As one friend said, “not everyone ages … we must see it as a privilege, for those who don’t get that opportunity”. I really enjoyed the concert, happily flapping my fledgling “bingo wings” on the dance floor.

Here’s to celebrating each day that we’re Stayin’ Alive!

• Julia Pitt is a trained success coach and certified NLP practitioner on the team at Benedict Associates. For further information contact Julia on 705-7488, www.juliapittcoaching.com