Saturday, January 31, 2009

Clarification

A good friend brought to my attention the fact that many people define cougars as older women who ONLY date much, much younger men. I was unaware of this singular, narrow vision. So, I looked up the definition of women cougars - and there are several.....

Some assert that cougars ONLY date younger men; some say they USUALLY date younger men; some claim that they PREFER younger men; some assert that they are women who prefer to hunt rather than be hunted, get their prey and move on to the next victim; some concur with this last one and add that cougars don't play the games that twenty year old women play. Some of the above state that cougars are 35 and up, some say between 30's and 40's, some specify 40's and 50's.
Outside of the 'no game playing' comment, I consider nearly all of these definitions (sans the age references) to be derogatory -which was the point of my entry.

Thanks, TS, for your input. I was unaware that some people saw cougars only as you defined them. The more I know, the better. It's good to be kept on my toes. I hope you will post comments on this site in the future. It will be great to get a dialogue going with whomever else might choose to contribute.

Up next:

The Cougar/Menopausal Connection

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

The True Cougar

As a single woman in my early (very early) 50's, I'm not sure I appreciate the label, "cougar."
Yes, it may seem a bit strange that I included this label in my blog title . . but to those who know me - it figures. To those who don't, read on and perhaps it will make more sense to you.
When I first heard that we women in the spring of our mature years are referred to as this magnificent feline, I thought, "cool, I can relate to being called a sleek, proud, masterful creature who can handle herself in the wild world." Then I was told, "well, it's not a compliment." And I was regaled with images of desperate women past their prime, pancaked and primped to the max, stuffed into too-tight, too-young clothing, prowling the bars for a man to devour for the night, for the weekend, for the time it takes his cash flows to run dry.
And it made me sad.
For we are not ALL this pathetic creature.
Some of us are purrrfectly content to be single, at least for now, and know that, whether or not we ever find someone we can be happy sharing our lives with, we are happy with ourselves first, so we will be just fine no matter what. We are comfortable in our skins, spots and all, and when we do go out, we are still young enough to be 'girls who want to have fun' and look good doing it! So I refuse to buy into the labeled vision of woman as cougar. I choose instead, to consider myself and women my age to be the magnificent beings that initially came to mind when I first heard the term Cougar.
So raise your glass of red or white, your cosmo or martini (or whatever you choose to imbibe) and toast the beauty, the glorious freedom of the true cougar: a woman - undeterred by cresting the hill, enjoying the exhilaration of self acceptance, the bliss of no inhibitions, the peace of self reliance, and the desire to continue to seek out romance and partnership without preconceptions.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Welcome


Just created my first blog. Have much to share, discuss and rant about,
depending on whether I'm in the mood to purr or roar.
For now, I'll just say hello and welcome.

Tomorrow's subject:
Women as cougars - Positive or Derogatory?