by Adele Ida Walter

Recently I got together with my old high school friend Bob and his second wife, who is over 17 years his junior. They look great together and have been happily married for over 30 years. No one thinks a thing about the age differ-ence since it is the man who is the older one. Were Annie 17 years older than Bob, people would wonder why he ever did THAT! This is so in our society despite the fact that American women have a longer lifespan than men. My own husband died at 71, and here I am a perky 84 year-old running a house and still driving my car at night. I mow my own lawn and polish my own nails too! Our President has a third wife young enough to be his daughter. Many wealthy American men marry and divorce often, the wives getting progres-sively younger each time as the men age, bald, develop prominent tummies, and wrinkle like a prune. My friend Bob is an exception to that, a former US Air pilot, who looks movie-star hand-some at 85, so Annie lucked out. Most men his age are old in their looks and their habits; if not in their own homes watching TV at night, some are already in nursing homes.

So what are women like me sup-posed to do? I think society needs to do a switch and start to let us date younger men. I recently had dinner out with a gorgeous men 15 years my junior and had a fabulous time talking to a brilliant, fully-functioning human being. Of course, there may not be a second time (fingers crossed that there will be), but I spent a wonderful 3-1/2 hours conversing with a talented, personable” stud muffin ” who never once made me feel old. The thing is that most men are not as brilliant or intel-ligent as that man, so they need to have a decorative, younger woman on their arm when they enter a restaurant or attend an event. They do not so much seek brilliant conversation, but rather, borrow youth, hoping some of the younger woman’s beauty will rub off on them and make them appear to be what they no longer are.

Of course, if a woman wishes to expand the age range from which she can seek male companionship, she has to tidy up and look decent. No man, regardless of age, wants to date an out of shape, unkempt woman who does not bother with manicures or makeup. Many beautiful Hollywood actresses actually marry much younger men. That is because they are pleasant to be with, look good, and are active in the world. Too often age brings negativity and a lot of complaining. More aches and pains are a normal part of the aging process, and talking about that does not make it better. The older woman who smiles and says, “I’m fine” is the one all people enjoy being around. When we start hearing what kind of pills a gal is taking, we are dealing with a pill. So, senior women, put a smile on your face and some spiffy clothes on your back and get out there and enjoy life. Use each day happily and make others happy too. Joy is contagious, and so is misery, so choose a direction and live well every day. Smiles go a long way.