I am Cougar, Hear Me ROAR

(and I definitely don't mean this in the BYU variety...)

I have always claimed to like older men. In dating scenarios, I feel like if the guy is older than me, they are "dominant." Just as if they were taller than me, or outweighed me by more than 10 pounds. I've always had a dominant personality so it's always been important for me to find those characteristics in guys I date.

I guess my "cougar" tendencies really started to come out in high school (strangely, when I had only been dating a year or two). There were a handful of freshmen boys I coveted during my own senior year. What can I say - they were adorable. I even had baby crushes on my brothers' friends.

During my adult life, I put that side of me to rest - insisting on only dating guys who were my age or older. Yet last year when the opportunity arose to go out with a guy I had been lusting after for months, despite his very young age, I took it. He was taller than me (by a head), and outweighed me by at least 10 pounds (times 5 or more), there was just this little matter of 6 years I had to look past. And look past, I did. I talked to some friends about it, dubbed myself a "cradle-robbing, cougar, whore" and got on with it. It seemed the only one who had issue with my age was me. Sadly he has left me for 2 years (you figure out why).

Since then, I have semi-fully embraced the title Cougar (although I don't think you can actually be called a cougar until you are 40). I have found solace in being attracted to the younger generation of Hollywood:

Joe Jonas

Zac Efron

Fast forward to THIS Monday in my real life. I'm working on a fundraising campaign through several high schools in the state and I had the privilege of visiting West High to motivate and encourage them in their efforts. I showed them the ever-motivating "Sydney Video," answered several intelligent questions about diabetes and went back to the office. Their teacher called me a few minutes later and told me I had forgotten to bring some supplies she needed, so I booked it back to the school the second time. As I dropped the materials off, she mentioned to me that after I left some of the boys were talking about me, "I think they would fundraise better if you come talk to the class a few more times - they think you're pretty cute." I had a little giggle walking back to my car, flattered and appalled at the thought of high school boys being attracted to me.