Age: Just A Number?

There's another new trend that I'm witnessing lately.
Men who like to date younger women. Wait, what? This isn't new?

For the most part, men age more gracefully than women. Sorry ladies, don't be angry at me. You have to agree with me at least a little bit.

When guys get older they're limited to focusing on their biceps - while women have more things to worry about like boobs, buns, and bellies.

The idea of what a women "should" look like is unrealistic. Women on TV and in print are airbrushed, painted, and coiffed to look like pure perfection. Even women over 50 in print are clearly being fixed up in their photos.

Here's an example of what I mean:

I recently ordered a few photos from my grad school graduation. Luckily I had just returned from a week in Miami so the photos that were taken were more flattering than I expected. When I ordered my photo there was a $4.99 option to add on blemish correction and contouring. The company would air brush your face, and even do shading on your cheek bones to give that very fresh "starved" look.

Wow.

If $4.99 bought me cheek bones...

I passed on the appealing offer of literally changing what I looked like and ordered the photo "as is". It came in the mail last week and with the exception of a not-so-great smile, the picture is pure perfection.

Another example; the Viagra triangle in Chicago. For those of you outside of the city it's a neighborhood in the Gold Coast where old men go out to play and young ladies (think 20-25) hang around for free drinks and future shopping trips at Jimmy Choo and Louis Vuitton.

There are some exceptions to dating a younger woman. My mom for example is married to a slightly older guy and while I wouldn't say he's robbing the cradle, there's definitely an age gap between the two of them.

Maybe dating younger or older really ties back to what we're ready for in a relationship. Some women date older to fill that "father figure" void. Or because we're ready and wanting a guy with more experience, who knows what he wants and doesn't play "the game".

Some guys date younger because they want a girl with nice boobs.

Regardless of the reason that people find themselves with a 15-20 year gap between them, I hope somewhere in between that gap there is love.