Nobody officially bans these things after 40.
And yet somewhere between “responsible adult” and “my knees make noises now,” we start quietly deciding that certain forms of fun, clothing, behaviour and excitement are no longer for us.
We reject this and are here to correct the administrative error.
THINGS THAT REMAIN ACCEPTABLE AFTER 40
Dancing on tables, structural integrity permitting.
Wearing glitter.
Getting ridiculously excited about your birthday.
Sleeping until noon.
Starting again.
Having absolutely no idea what you want to be when you grow up.
Wearing clothes that are “too young.”
Learning something you're terrible at.
Changing careers.
Going to festivals.
Making new best friends.
Eating cereal for dinner.
Getting a tattoo.
Not getting a tattoo despite everyone else apparently getting one.
Travelling alone.
Travelling with six friends and behaving like you're 23.
Deciding you hate something you've spent years pretending to like.
Loving completely uncool music.
Going out on a Tuesday.
Staying home on Saturday because you genuinely want to.
Being the first person on the dance floor.
Wearing sequins before sunset.
Trying a new sport.
Screaming on rollercoasters.
Making enormous life changes.
Making absolutely no enormous life changes.
Buying something because it makes you laugh.
Being silly in public.
Getting overexcited.
Having dreams that make no practical sense whatsoever.
ALSO ACCEPTABLE
Not wanting to do any of the above.
This isn't another list of things you should squeeze into your life. That's exactly the sort of nonsense we're trying to escape.
The point is simpler:
Age can change what you enjoy, but it doesn't get to decide what you're allowed to enjoy. If you stopped doing something because you genuinely stopped liking it, excellent. If you stopped because you thought people might think you looked ridiculous…
We regret to inform you that looking ridiculous remains available at every age. Use responsibly.