Age isn't really too much of
a bother for me, but past
experience tends to leave me
running from anyone younger,
or even the same age...
So I'm kind of limited in options.

Does age matter to you? Is there a specific age range you go for when dating?

Yes about 2-3 years younger to maybe 4-6 years older. I want someone who has similiar life experieince to my own. Just less explaining. I just don't have the patience for someone who can't remember what life was like before technology took over our every wakeing breath.

Would you date someone 5 years older/younger than you? What about 10, 15 or 20 years older/younger?

Done younger and older and it might have been ok short term but when you get down to it it gets to be a grind. I really don't need the drama of starting stuff I don't want to finish.

For one thing they are usually on a completly different page in their life. Either their kids are at a different frame than my own, or their parents, or career, even health. I really don't want to back my life up and repeat a decade and I really don't want to jump into the next stage prematurely either. Yes I do have some "traditional" views and I am not the athletic version of my age frame so some of the lucky, or hey hard fought for hard bodies are just more of eleite than I want to run to keep up with. I am not looking for someone to compete with.

I enjoy the pace my life is now. I have enough and really not interested in more. That may or may not be and age thing. For me it was a health thing where my body said hey knock it off and smell the roses before you rest your head on a gravestone.

Besides I had my kids when I was young so I would have some time and energy left to enjoy being an adult.

The flip side of that are the people out there that have gone out and tried to pretend to be younger and irresponsible and now want someone to have to endure their choices. I don't want to be the resented step-parent to an "oops" baby or have to deal with ongoing "hang-over issues' because of a self inflicted addiction.

Do you often tell people that age is just a number and want people to think the same way? Or, do you feel that you actually have more in common with those who are closer to your age?

Oh yea right all these people who are pretending to be something they are not are in this IMHO ridiculous dellusion of denial. They are saying oh I don't look my age or I am young at heart. Duh yea you look your age and that young at heart half the time is just and excuse for dodgeing responsibility for immature or selfish behavior. Or blameing someone else for not being some juvinile center of the universe and doing such boreing things as raiseing kids, working hard to pay bills, or not being so desperate that they will be used like a sugar tete. I don't need to be a rerun of that.

Having someone of similiar age you have a more equal relationship. Neither are "teaching" or waiting for the other to catch up. More often if you are similiar in age you are going through "things" together.

Do you prefer to date someone who is older, younger or the same age as you?

#consenting

#adults

Come to mama :-)

I only date them if their age is a prime number.

thank you and @singme- I agree that regardless of our own preferences regarding age, we all need to respect the preferences of others.

As far as being in the same place in life - that is prolly the largest factor that throws me in with a lot of younger men. I was a stay at home mom unitl my divorce so I am about 15-17 years "younger" as a working woman than my age would tell. most my age are preparing for retiring - I'm in the middle of my midlife career change

so I agree with you there and this is why I used to have no one retired on my preferences (I won't have the time for them. I know how retirees are) but ya, they contacted me all the time anyway - and this is an example of the control issues I have with the older gentlemen. They see, please no retirees on a profile and email anyway? what is that?

I guess I could answer my own questions now.

Age does matter to me. I prefer dating someone who is right around my age, or a bit younger. I've dated someone who is 8 years younger, but that's a bit much. I haven't dated anyone more than a couple years older. I'd be willing to date someone a bit older, but probably no more than 10 years, as the bigger the age gap, the less we have in common and the more likely we're at completely different places in life.

I do get tired of hearing the "age is just a number" thing, as those guys like to ignore age preferences and get offended if they're told they're a bit too old/young.