Kudos to Cougars!

I have a confession to make: I was once a “cougar.” As an older woman who dated younger men, I never let the term cougar bother me. I didn’t have a problem dating younger men. If someone else did, well, I guess that was their problem. Perhaps they were jealous? Who knows. However, I am convinced that after all the money I’ve spent on therapy that you can’t control anyone else’s thoughts or behaviour, only your own. But did age play a huge part in my relationships with younger men?

The Connection
It’s all about the connection. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to a younger man’s physique or sexual stamina but it wasn’t the whole picture. “Spark” doesn’t have a chronological age. Neither does a meeting of the minds. It’s either there or it’s not. And it can’t be analyzed or dissected. So I went with my gut feeling and enjoyed the connection!

How did the Term “Cougar” Originate?
Lucia, syndicated columnist and author of the book, “Lucia’s Lessons of Love,” believes the term cougar started in the late 1980’s in the Vancouver Canuck’s Hockey team dressing room, used to describe the single, older female fans that attended the games. How flattering to those sexy women! A group of hot young athletes taking time from their game strategy to notice them and even give them a pet name (pardon the pun). Who knew?

“Cougar Town” and “Accidentally on Purpose” Premiere Next Week
Older women rock this fall on two new sitcoms. Wednesday nights I’ll be chatting to friends during commercials while watching ABC’s Cougar Town starring Courtney Cox. After her marriage ends, Courtney hooks up with a younger man. I’ll be writing more about cougars this season. First episode is Wednesday, September 23 at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Accidentally On Purpose is CBS’s salute to cougars. Jenna Elfman gets pregnant after a one-night stand with a younger man. Hey, these things do happen! I’m looking forward to watching this one. Premieres Monday, September 21 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Grasping Gold Digger
I’ve long since retired my cougar claws and actually married a man eighteen years older than me. Hmm…does that make me a grasping gold digger with latent cougar tendencies? I’m not sure. Maybe I should ask a Vancouver Canuck.