You spot his gorgeous form across the room and your eyes lock. He winks and you offer up a sexy smile that means--I'm available. He comes over and introduces himself, and after exchanging a little about yourselves too you discover--yikes! He's younger than you are. You search your mind--what do they call women who date younger men? Cradle-robbers, among other things. But he's so darn cute and the attraction is definitely there, right? That's when it hits you, the stigma of dating a younger man has really all but disappeared. When
first spotted out on the town with Ashton Kutcher who is notably younger, the fabulously older Demi Moore showed no remorse at all. She's my hero.

Women like Demi and Cameron Diaz are now making it fashionable to be found clutching the arm of a younger man, and thank God for them! There used to be a time when society deemed it bad taste or taboo for women to bridge the age gap by dating a younger man, but May December romances are inevitably on the rise. Women have taken a no holds barred approach to dating and refuse to settle just for what they can get, they're going after what they want--an ageless package of pure man. This proactive approach to dating of course means, hooking up regardless of age. Some believe that it's the age gap itself that will hinder the relationship, but I tend to think that if the couple has enough in common and possesses more than just a "lust" for each other, any older woman, younger man relationship really can work and develop into something mutual and lasting. In 2000, I met and dated a man nine years my junior.

We had a lot in common, he was a good listener and we found each other irresistible from the start. I didn't think friends would approve so I didn't tell them, while he on the
other hand told everybody who would listen. Nevertheless, we're now approaching our four year wedding anniversary. Yes, we got married and it's lasting! Although I had heard the warning that to date a younger man was a no-no, I opted to follow my heart rather than popular dating guidelines. In my opinion he was a man looking for a beautiful, independent woman and I was looking for a handsome, ambitious kind of man. With compatibility being a common factor, I believe that we were blessed to find each other, and have been growing more and more in love ever since.

The pros of dating a younger man in their 20's and 30's is that they like to have fun, they're in their prime and are open-minded when it comes to career, travel and other major life decisions. As we get older we tend to become more set in our ways and find change in any of these areas an excruciating occurrence. So, when you meet a younger man, loosen up and enjoy yourself. A date is just a date, not every man meets woman outing ends in holy matrimony, neither should we expect it to. My advice is, don't make a bigger deal out of it than
it is. A date is just that, a date. The cons of dating a younger man may include the fact that your tastes in music may clash, which doesn't have to be a major catastrophe, depending on how attached you are to your CD collection. You prefer the oldies and he's may have an incurable fetish for rock. I say experiment with each other. You both bring something new and refreshing to the table.

Sample each other's world. Exploration and experimentation after all, is what life is all about.

by Linda Dominique Grosvenor

Linda Dominique Grosvenor is pursuing a degree in Marriage and Family Counseling and is the Best Selling author of BLOOM; book #2 in older woman younger man series titled The Cradle Robbers and several other novels including FEVER, LIKE BOOGIE ON TUESDAY, PRETTY BOYS and THE HAMPTONS. She is also the author of the non-fiction relationship book THE PLURAL THING: SPIRITUALLY PREPARING FOR YOUR SOUL MATE. She hosts her love advice column GIRLFRIEND! on several high profile internet sites. To syndicate her popular advice column online or in print or to submit your love questions, contact her directly at: Dominique@lindadominiquegrosvenor.com or askgirlfriend@thabiz.com. She welcomes visitors to her website at: www.lindadominiquegrosvenor