Older woman thinks about it all

I said to Michael today when he reminded me it’s my turn to put up a post that all of this blogging has made me think a lot more about our age gap than I used to.

Is that a good thing?

Writing this blog has given me cause to watch some really bad television (see entries on “The Cougar,” “Cougartown”), get suckered into figuring out my “Real Age,” follow the love lives of Katie Couric and Susan Sarandon, track the Twitter postings of Ashton Kutcher and ‘fess up to what I wrote in my journal almost 20 years ago.

But it’s also broadened my knowledge of the world, given me an opening for an honest chat with my mother-in-law, helped me think about his & her career issues, and given me a reason to watch a Kate Winslet movie.

We now find ourselves considering our age difference more than we used to, and confronting some issues — retirement, money, location — that we might have avoided.

The biggest advantage to thinking about our age difference so much is that I don’t hide from it anymore. Now I take it out and examine it a lot more than I might have, which makes it familiar — like wrapping up in a favorite sweater.

The bummer is that no matter how you slice it, I’m still the older one.

Rocking the Cradle

The first I heard about Katie Couric’s relationship with a younger man was when my sister e-mailed me a link to the CBS News anchor’s recent commencement speech at Princeton at which she alluded to her “cougar” status.  She’s now 52 and has been seeing 35-year-old Brooks Perlin for two years.

The June 2 US Magazine story, reposted on a Yahoo news site, prompted 652 comments, many from people ticked off that “America’s Sweetheart” had taken a swipe at Sarah Palin in her speech. But some guys are clearly troubled by this age gap thing — when the woman is older, of course — and are happy to share their muddled thinking and spelling challenges online.

A sampling of what’s out there – warts and all: 

Well being a former BOY-TOY, I know what its like to date a older woman, we are there to build up there shattered ego's, 1 was 22 yrs my sr. and the other was 28 yrs my sr., I was 25 and 30 when this happened, both were attractive for there ages and thanked me for pleasuring them by buying me material gifts, its amazing how grateful they are when you service them and tell them there attrac [sic] (StelHrseRyder) 

 

It seems weird to me that this couger thing is the trend. What could a 53 year old woman offer a guy 33 with his life totally in order? Im 42 and i want younger woman. Not saying there arent beautiful older woman ,but dont portray it like most woman can do it. Shes got millions. If she wasnt rich would this be the case? Whats up with that? It can be embarrasing for the grandkids im sure.  (Morgan1)

Does your new bfriend foregt sometimes and say "goodnight mom" when you go to bed. The thougt itself is repulsive. As the saying goes though - someone has to do it so kudos to him for making the sacrafice (Gary)

What young guy would want to be seen with this gummy old woman? (Jackie B)

 

But not everybody finds it disgusting. Here’s one of the few kudos to Katie:

 

katie you 'rock' and not just the cradle! (t0mkat)