<DIV>
<DIV>Hey, I think it's worth talking to death. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Siarlys, you made a dead-on observation of "fashion experts have given us an ideal image of what a woman SHOULD look like (and they've done that to men too) that has little or nothing to do with what most women (and men) actually DO look like. This<BR>creates all kinds of unnecessary anxiety."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>And Frank, the floral industry has does the same thing with flowers. They want us to believe that someone loves us more if they send us flowers. And the advertising has been aimed directly at us women.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Via advertising, Corporate America has done a superb job of convincing most Americans and the rest of the world who and what we should be. But I'm not buying into the concept. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I'm a 61-year-old female, disabled, overweight, salt-and-pepper hair, with plenty of wrinkles on my face (and I've earned every one of them!), in a long-term committed relationship with a 47-year-old overweight, little bit of gray in his hair, laugh-lines only wrinkles, grad student male. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We show each other in many different ways how much we love each other without giving each other flowers, and without me asking "do I look old?" because I know I do and he would tell me I do! But we don't care that I am obviously older than he. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Other people care -- funny how in our society nobody blinks an eye when an older man has a "trophy wife", but let an older woman be in a relationship with a younger man, and, "OH MY GOD, What's wrong with him that he's with that old broad? What can he possibly see in her?!" And, yes, we've actually overheard that comment made more than once. The look of shock on people's faces when we're introduced to new people is priceless.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>What he sees, in his words, is "The most witty, intelligent, caring, warm, and loving person I know." And that's what I see in him. Yes, we have our ups and downs like every couple, especially when each of us is as independent as we are. But corporate America be damned (moderator - can I say that?). We are human beings who try to be the best people we can be and to treat other people just as we want them to treat us.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks for the opportunity to speak my piece. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I read this column frequently and appreciate the intelligent conversation and dialogue. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Kay </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV><p>
<hr size=1>Do you Yahoo!?<br>
Check out the new Yahoo! Front Page. <a href="http://www.yahoo.com">www.yahoo.com</a>