by Drew Martin
A couple years ago, I swapped computer assistance for French classes. It turned into more than just helping a lady revamp her website: I also helped her set up online dating profiles. She was in her 60's, looked like she was in her 70's, posted that she was in her 50's and was looking for men in their 40's. She would scoff at anyone nearing her years. Although she was not realistic about her age, she was candid about the situation. "I hope you never have to do this" she said to me in a deeply sad voice. Yesterday I was reading the Get Naked page of Time Out New York and there was a 59-year-old man who wrote in that he was passing himself off as a 37-year-old guy to his 20-year-old boyfriend. I never understood this. It is flattering to be told you look younger than you are and to feel like a twenty-something as you pass through your middle years because you exercise, eat well and have good genes but why on Earth would you want to set yourself up to appear to be a poorly aging younger person as opposed to a timeless older person? If anything, the latter means you hold the secret to extended youth.
A couple years ago, I swapped computer assistance for French classes. It turned into more than just helping a lady revamp her website: I also helped her set up online dating profiles. She was in her 60's, looked like she was in her 70's, posted that she was in her 50's and was looking for men in their 40's. She would scoff at anyone nearing her years. Although she was not realistic about her age, she was candid about the situation. "I hope you never have to do this" she said to me in a deeply sad voice. Yesterday I was reading the Get Naked page of Time Out New York and there was a 59-year-old man who wrote in that he was passing himself off as a 37-year-old guy to his 20-year-old boyfriend. I never understood this. It is flattering to be told you look younger than you are and to feel like a twenty-something as you pass through your middle years because you exercise, eat well and have good genes but why on Earth would you want to set yourself up to appear to be a poorly aging younger person as opposed to a timeless older person? If anything, the latter means you hold the secret to extended youth.