I've dated younger men almost exclusively since undergrad, and I've been trying to write about why for almost as long as I've been blogging. It is a topic that fills my drafts folder and has yet to see the light of day. I tried again last night... and then I decided to see what other people were saying.

CNN asks Older women and younger men: Can it Work?

Moreover, says Winter, women have experienced a significant financial and status shift over the past half-century. "When women as a group are able to have their own economic and social standing and have a power base, they are now able to pick the man that they want rather than having to choose the man to support them and give them social status," Winter explains. "Now we have choices."

Certainly, my desire for an equal partner has contributed to my consistent choice of a younger man. Indeed, many of my sorority sisters were also dating younger men - and many of them married them.

Cheryl Ashbrook addresses The Considerations Of Being An Older Woman Dating Younger Men. To be honest, her advice seems pretty universal for the December half of any May/December partnership. The difference, of course, is that no one ever taught women about the dynamics involved.  I also tend to agree with her when she says:

You may also be thinking in the long term when you are old and maybe not so attractive and your partner is still young. Remember though, having a younger partner will keep you younger, women tend to live longer than men and can age better so maybe this is the new way of the world to even things out and keep couples together in old age!

An older woman dating younger men can have a fantastic lifestyle, be made to feel younger, even more confident and have more fun than with a much older partner so don’t let your doubts stop you.

Looks and healthwise, older men with younger women has always seemed rather backwards to me.

African Muse blogs On Younger Men at Singled Out:

Recently, I had an emotional fall-out with such an older guy and its led me to re-evaluate just what type of men I've been picking. As you may recall from the older blogs, I vowed to change my habits and become more open to new experience. As it so happens, a friend of mine who I've known for the past year, manned up, stepped up his game and asked me out. I was skeptical because I never did look at him as nothing more than a friend. It also turns out that he's 3 years younger and while that may not seem like a big deal to some people, it marks a detour for me. Once I stopped being overly dramatic and analytical about it all, I actually allowed myself to just go with the flow and have some fun. And that's another thing. I'm finding that these younger men may just be a whole lot of fun.

Well, the one guy I dated who was significantly older than me - because I was trying to be open-minded about dating older guys - cheated on me. So yeah, That Went Well.

Younger men being a whole lot of fun? That's definitely been true, true, true in my personal experience.

Lori from Single Parents Unite asks, Younger men, is that the answer? (Short answer from me: YES!)

I wonder if after time, you just become so use to living single that you find excuses or reasons not to live happily ever after. Its either that, or the men that you find later on in life just have way too much baggage. They are damaged goods, not like when you were younger. When you're first starting your search for "Mr. Right" (in the early years), it seems that there was more of a variety to chose from. As you get older, well, like they say, the good ones are either married or gay. Ive always been optimistic of this concept because I want to believe it isn't true. However, the older I get, there are more signs that it may be a fact. So, what to do then?? ...

If you cant find what you're looking for in someone your age or older, do you think its reasonable to try a younger man?? I, for one, have never dated anyone more than 5 years younger than myself but now I'm beginning to wonder. If older men can date younger women, why cant we date younger men??? They say a women reaches her sexual peek at 38 to 40 and a man at 18. Isn't that a cruel joke to play on women? My girlfriend swears by younger men, but I am still a skeptic.

I tend to be on the fence about older single men being damaged. The way I look at it, I'm still single, right? So what I am saying about myself when I say "all the good ones are gone"?

Personally, for me, I last decided that at 36 it was time to stay in the 30s zone - no more 20-somethings and simply no interest in guys of 40 and above. Hunky Actor Boyfriend is 33 - so he's more mature than my previous boyfriends (including the 40-something, truth be told) and yet still a touch younger than me.  In other words, Just Right.

Contributing editor Liz Rizzo also blogs at Everyday Goddess.