I am simply not attracted to men more than 5 years younger or about 8 years older. I want a common cultural frame of reference.

I'm 54. My husband is 37. Works great.

It depends upon the people, I suppose. I know that at 62 I am subject to unfair ageism in the dating world. Many men my age would prefer women as much as a generation younger than themselves, unless they are looking for a nurse to care for their infirmities. My options are limited, so it's a good thing I enjoy my solitude.

In theory it is "just a number" but in practice people are in completely different places and have totally different framing experiences if they are more than, at most, 10 years apart ... and probably 5 years for anyone under about 40.

I've never been with anyone more than 5 years different in age. Even the superficial appeal of dating a much younger woman could never overcome how little we'd have in common and how different a headspace we'd be in, all things being equal.

Yes there are people wise beyond their years but there is no one who is experienced beyond their years.

So long as all parties are of consenting age and involved in the relationship of their own accord, I could care less.

Saccharine nonsense

"Love has no boundaries" is Bible bullshit (1 Corinthians 13:10-12.)

"Distance is nothing when love is real."

Shared life experiences

I want a man around my age. This provides endless topics of conversation:

The Vietnam War, assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, fighting for civil rights, voting rights, women's rights, gay rights, Title IV in education, sex, drugs and rock and roll, and more.

Why I want an experienced hiker

I want an experienced hiker because I am tired of teaching novices to hike. Often people ask me to take them hiking. My style of hiking involves negotiating lively creeks with slippery rocks and blow downs in the creek, and hiking steep trails that often gain 1,000 feet in elevation per mile.

Experience and fitness are needed to: know what equipment, food and clothing to pack, safely hike steep, hazardous trails, pace yourself and prevent falls and injuries.

Never did before. Had dated someone 25 years younger and 10 years younger with no concerns. Dan and I are only 2 years apart and that works too.