I am curious as to what opinions some of the young ladies in the forum might have regarding dating older men. I ask this because it is relevant to my personal life, so allow me to provide some context:
I am 38 years old, and mutually ended an 8-year, live in relationship with my girlfriend 6 months ago. I live in the city of New Orleans, and almost all of my closest friends moved after Katrina. The ones that remain are mostly in their mid-20's, so much of my opportunity for socialization occurs within this age group.
I should mention that I don't look 38 (most people assume I'm 30-32), I'm told that I'm a handsome devil, I'm in great physical shape, and I have a certifiable "hipster" pedigree
. I follow the indie rock music scene, I have good taste in clothes, I know the local club owners, etc. etc., so it's not like these young women would be dating "grandpa."
Having said that, most of the women I encounter that seem interested in me are 10-12 years younger than I am. While I don't have a problem with that, I do have some worries. Because of the stage of life they are in, they tend to go out more often, hang out with groups of friends, and generally "be on the scene" much more than I do considering where I am in life. I like to go out when there is a compelling reason (a great band, a good party, etc), but I tend to opt for dinner at one of the great local restaurants, a nice bottle of wine, then back the house for a movie, monkey love, etc. I would never have a problem with going to one of the "scene" clubs, but in New Orleans that often means staying out until 3-6am, and that is something I cannot do on a regular basis.
I can see how these issues could cause problems in a relationship with a large age gap, and I guess I'm wondering what younger women might want, expect, hope for, fear, etc, when they consider getting involved with someone who is signficantly older than they are.
Any insights for me?