The Cougar & The Cub

Is it a rule that you have to be over 40 to be officially considered "A Cougar on the Prowl"? I hope not because I'm not 40, but I'm damn sure on cougar status. I'm currently seeing someone who is 7 years my junior and I'm totally enamored with him right now. Of course I won't let on to him about how I'm really feeling... at least not yet, but he knows that I'm diggin him. Dating someone younger than me isn't abnormal for me though. For some reason, I always attract younger guys. I don't go out looking for them- they just flock to me like bees to honey. Naturally, a woman in her 30's such as myself, should really be with someone their own age or maybe older. But who says thats the ways things really ought to be? Where is this rule written that a woman should not date a man younger than she is? And why is it that the women get labeled as a "cougar", making us sound hungry and on the hunt for fresh prey to demoralize and corrupt, but men who date younger than them are considered "the man" because he's got some young tender-roni on his arm? I hate the double standard!

The guy I'm seeing is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum of all the other dip shits that I've dated. We've spent a lot of time together and a couple of nights and nothing has happened! NOTHING! Totally unbelievable, especially for me. But don't think I didn't try anything. He turns me down every time. It's not a blow to my ego though. He explained why and when he did, he rocked my socks!!!

He told me that being physically intimate with a man isn't what I needed right now at this point in my life. He went on to say that because I've been in some really bad relationships, that I needed to see how a real man is supposed to treat a woman. That I deserved to be listened to, cared for, supported, admired, and loved for who I am. Of course the bitter and cynical woman in me gave him the side-eye in the beginning; thinking that he had some sort of ulterior motive for all of this. But what? I don't have anything, and if he just wanted sex, he could have gotten that from me in the beginning, but as I stated, he hasn't even tried.

If you guys only knew what I have been through in the past with men, you would fully understand why this guy blew me away! I've always gotten the guy who immediately wanted to come over and have sex, but never wanted to really know who I am. This one is different. He's 26 years old people!!! We all know that the average 26 year old is out whoring around with anything that moves and isn't trying to be monogamous with anyone at least for another five to ten years. He tells me that he's ready to build something meaningful with someone, but a friendship must be the foundation, and that is what he and I are establishing with what we have.

This whole "taking our time" thing is new to me and is going to take some getting used to... but I actually like it. As the old adage goes:

To get something that you've never gotten; You've gotta do something you've never done!