5 Minute Freewrite – Wednesday

The old standard that I would like to replace is the half-your-age-plus-seven rule, used to determine the appropriate age of oneʼs dating partner.

Iʼm 44. Half plus seven is 29. Are you kidding me?

I mean, if Iʼm able to keep up, and itʼs consensual, why shouldnʼt I be able to pursue a 20-year-old? Theyʼre adults after all.

I donʼt like the idea of socially imposed limitations, especially not in this area. Thankfully itʼs not a law, just a social taboo – easily broken.

But, I probably should question if social acceptability is the only limitation here. Where does my desire for a 20-year-old come from? Isnʼt that socially instilled? Have I been told that I want the youngest partner that I can get – by movies and the culture (fellow men for example) – and bought into the idea? Isnʼt that social conditioning a kind of limitation, just more subtle than overt disapproval?

Well, itʼs not like there are 44-year-old ladies lined up at my door around the block. In fact, I havenʼt had a knock on the door in awhile.

So I guess the question of who I pursue is moot.

And probably the one that really needs worked on is why 20-year-olds arenʼt interested in 44-year-olds.

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