Unleash Your Inner Cougar

Cougars are on the prowl. I don't mean the big game, man-eating beasts of the wild. I'm referring to wily, man-eating older women who cruise the sexual wilds in search of youthful male testosterone. Seems there are a lot of mid-life women out there exuding healthy appetites for younger men. They've popped up on the cultural trend known as cougars. Cougar women tend to be in their forties or fifties and selectively date men in their twenties and thirties, some even the same age as their sons. Many cougars are not interested in long term relationships but enjoy random, rousing, boy toy flings...validating to themselves and others that they are still appealing, hip and attractive. A few cougars try to seduce their daughter's boyfriends....which is definitely not an endearing motherly quality. Some cougar couplings are downright laughable as evidenced by the ex Mrs. Hulk Hogan and her stud cub, what's-his-name. Yet many cougars manage to develop genuine, committed relationships as in celebrity power couple Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher.

Some cougar women are married. Most are divorced, widowed or never married. They tend to be good looking, affluent, vivacious and self assured. As women traverse middle age, many of them discover that men of their same age are winding down and have lost their sense of adventure and excitement. Cougar women unleash a renewed thrill of self esteem, spirit, and youthfulness in the company of exuberant, passionate and intoxicating younger men. Nice, but can these dudes read?

As for me, I am happily married and do not aspire to be a cougar woman...not that I'd have a chance in hell of making the cut in the first place. I do not cast aspersions on this intriguing mid-life female phenomenon. Nor do I entirely condone it. Instead, it occurs to me that there may be a glimmer of useful, wise and prudent truths hidden within this provocative and somewhat unconventional female behavior. Cougar Wisdom, if you will.

You may or may not agree with the cougar lifestyle. But I believe there is a cougar in all of us just waiting to be unleashed. Not necessarily for sexual escapades but for enriching our lives. By exploring the traits of cougar women, whether we admire them or not....we can discover and cultivate our own inner cougar qualities.  Women who have reached their prime time of life are seasoned, experienced, grounded and know what they want. You don't have to be a cougar to feel good about yourself. But what's wrong with being self-sufficient, physically fit, attractive, even sexually alluring?  You don't have to grab a boy toy to feel empowered, assertive and sassy. Smart, educated, thoughtful women, quiet or outspoken, silver haired or otherwise, working, retired or reinvented, hip or hip-replaced----understand what's important to them in their lives. Like cougar women, we can allow ourselves the freedom to be non-conformist, slightly rebellious, even quirky, feisty or mischievious. We have reached an age where it's OK to believe in ourselves. We take care of ourselves because it's in our best interest to be healthy and independent and so we will not be a burden to others. We appreciate kindness and we treasure those we hold dear and we value our friendships because we know how difficult it is to find people who we can count on no matter what happens. We are true to ourselves because we have reached an age of confidence. We are vibrant inside and out. Cougar women revel in their conquests. The rest of us may not feel a need to entice twenty-somethings. Nonetheless we have met difficult challenges. Our quests may be more introspective. Our dreams change and we find new joys in life. We realize that age itself is just a number. And a boy toy can be your latest fling or he can be your sweetest grandson. Sphere: Related Content