Age cannot wither her,
Nor custom stale
Her infinite variety.
- Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra 11, 2

Cleopatra was said to be among the most beautiful women of all time, and I do believe that she was, but to me, all women are beautiful. I don't mean just the "pretty face" ones either, but the beauty of class, style, poise and maturity.

Yet, even though I adore women, there are some who take umbrage to what I have written in the past, and still hold ill feelings towards me and my utterances. It was just last week that I was speaking to my fellow columnist and colleague Sharon Leach, who reminded me of a column that I had written years ago about women over the age of 45. "That column had a profound effect on me as I grew older, especially the part where you described women in and above that age group as being like the last loaf of bread on the shelf that nobody wanted," Sharon said to me. She continued to say how deeply affected she was as she almost lost hope in the future and in the prospect of growing older and being left all alone. Many other women also expressed those fears after reading that column.

It's amazing how the few strokes of the pen can impact on people, but they do say that the pen is mightier than the sword.

What's even more amazing is how many women took my opinion to heart. Did I touch a chord or did I simply express what they already knew? Surely I cannot take responsibility for these fears. Anyway, I'm sure that Sharon has got over that by now, at least I hope so, and she surely must know that I didn't mean her, or many other women for that matter who do grow older, but hardly show it. True, there are many people, men and women, whom age is not kind to, and we see them and wonder about their years. I often marvel at times when I hear that so-and-so is still in their thirties. "I don't believe you, you too lie, you mean to say that she is only 35? And yet she look like she pushing the latter part of 55." Yes, the years can be unkind to many people, and it can also be extremely generous too, as many women way past 40 still look like they're in their twenties. Perhaps it can be attributed to their state of mind, or maybe they simply had a hard-paced life, burned the candle at both ends when they were younger and are paying the price for it now. But still, this age issue with women just won't go away.

The irony is, when girls are young, they often lie about their age, saying that they are older than they really are. And trust me, many do look older than their tender years. Have you seen those young girls parading as big women lately? Go to any eating spot or watering hole like TGI-Fridays, Cuddy'z, Carlos Café, Quad, Asylum or others, and you'll see what I'm talking about. There are young girls there who you'd think are in their late twenties or early thirties, parading around, strutting their stuff like big women, and yet, they're still in high school. Yes, they sashay around in tight-fitting clothes that make men ogle and other women look on in envy, sip from champagne glasses, swig vodka, gin and tonic like they're born to it, and handle cigarettes like they were smoking from age 10. Perhaps they were. I wish some of their parents could see what their precious little angels are up to when the stars and the moon come out.

These are 'older women' who are not yet 18 years old. So many times when you read of older men in their forties or fifties getting caught with their pants down, in flagrante delecto, with these girls, they are not entirely to blame, for it's oftentimes difficult to tell the age of these nymphets. Now these are the girls who by the time they hit 40 are washed up, burned out, weather-beaten and over the hill, for they matured too quickly. Force ripe they used to call them in the old days. But perhaps they are not entirely at fault, for puberty does come early in this modern-day world.

But apart from those force-ripe girls, the genuinely mature woman does have her place, as I learned from a few who engaged me in some spirited conversation recently. What I learned is that there is a growing trend for younger men to seek out these older women. "I tell you, every day I have to be fighting off these young boys. Don't they know that I'm a big woman and could be their mother?" one told me. "Yes, is true, but seeing as how I don't want any short-term fun, I don't even bother with them," another told me. It is true, there is a growing phenomenon of young men seeking older women, and not just for a short-term fling either.

Perhaps they are seeking some stability in their lives, as an older woman can provide some sort of security, like a home, car or income, very much like a pension plan. I'm sure many young men view them as such. But there are others who genuinely want them for who they are and not what they have. I know some who are in it for the long haul, and as far as I know, they're still going strong, even though I had my doubts in the beginning. Older women have the experience of dealing with men that the young girls lack. For example, one told me, "I'm not admitting to jealousy, but I can detect subtle signs of infidelity that the young girls can't, one being the tiniest of female hairs on a man. It may be on his soap after he showers, or in his beard or moustache, but I can see it.

And yet, I have the maturity not to act on it, for if I kick him out for that, who knows who I'll pick up next?" The older woman does not display the traits of jealousy, anger, misery or nagging like the younger woman does. Perhaps that's the appeal to the younger men. However, please do not confuse the older woman with the older wife, for they are two different animals. I'm talking about the older single woman. "I tell you, I have been with my lady for four years now, and she is 12 years older than I am, and I've never had it so good," one young man told me. "Those young girls look hot, sexy and spicy, but they're also so flighty-flighty, giddy-headed, jealous and wanty-wanty that I couldn't take them at all," another young man told me. That's another thing, older women are certainly not as needy as their younger counterparts.

A girl between the age of 18 and 28 is like a sponge, they need, they want, they desire, they crave and then they want some more. Everything is about them and their needs, and that's why they only seek a certain kind of man who can fulfil these needs. And there are men who do that too, providing everything from carpets to cars, perfume to plasma TVs, baubles to bank accounts, silk to school fees. You rarely find that type of neediness in an older woman, in fact quite the opposite, as they can be quite generous. And don't be snide and say it's because they're grateful either.

As for health issues, a young woman abhors that. Case in point, if a young man takes up with an older woman and unfortunately he falls ill, that woman will not abandon him, but will stick by him until he recovers. The same can't be said for many of these young girls as is proven time and time again. There are so many tales of older men leaving their wives and taking up with girls half their age and then suffering the consequences. When the first stroke or cardiac arrest hits him, she's outta there faster than you can say, medic alert. There even have been cases of these young women actually taking the sick man back to his wife and saying, "Here, you take care of him, I can't handle this." Others just deposit him in a nursing home and let his insurance cover the bills. She has her life to live and no sick old man is going to tie her down. The reality is, no young woman in her twenties is going to play nursemaid to any sugar daddy when the sugar runs out or gets stale, but an older woman wouldn't just abandon him just like that.

There is the art of conversation that the older woman brings to the table, plus the wisdom of life that the young girls can't compare with. And they know how to treat men. But even as I say all this, the scales are still not tipped towards the older woman, as the attractiveness and temptation of youth still holds sway for most men. But they are still holding their own and making inroads. So many, even in their forties and early fifties look better than many women in their twenties, and that's a fact. Some have come up to me and shown me their wares, and they do pass muster. So as society evolves, and desires and wants shift, the older woman is giving the nymphets a run for their money, and in many cases they are winning. More time.

seido1@hotmail.com

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