"New" Dating Pool

Ok, here's the short of it: Dating has returned to the picture and it certainly hasn't grown easier since the last time. The biggest change though is the type of men that seem to be around me, older guys.

I've always been attracted to older men, but I've never dated one. My first boyfriend was 9 months older than me, but that hardly counts. Now there seems to be a plethora of attractive men anywhere from 5 - 20 years older than me. So I'm kind of giddy and apprehensive at the same time. Notwithstanding I've never lived on the older man block, I've been around it a few times and I have a number of concerns...

1. Men in general seldom change, and I consistently hear that it only gets worse with age. So anything I don't like about an older guy I had just better accept or hit the road.



2. Lots of older men seem to like younger guys; that's fine now, but what happens when I'm no longer young? Do I become dross to be cast aside?



3. Physiological deterioration is another concern. Are they going to be able to get it up and get "there" in a reasonable amount of time? As men get older they seem to be less and less receptive to stimuli.



4. With some of these guys there is a real generation gap. They grew up in a very different world and time. They coped with and know about things that are completely foreign to me. At the same time, they are unfamiliar with my experiences and challenges making the process of finding commonality just that much harder.



5. The ones that seem worth dating have a really good idea of what they want. This is great except when you don't measure up. They're experienced enough in the game to know that if they're patient something they want will come along.

In other words, it's the same game with new twists, and so far I don't seem to be up to the challenge. The possible moves and rules are all different and more complex.