Am I a cougar?

As my 35th birthday approaches, I've been wondering what will change? Maybe nothing except that every time I have to fill out my age on any form or survey, I now have to mark the "old box" of 35 - 44!

It also get me started thinking about older women dating younger men, something I really like to do! When are you too old to do that any more? Is it this new age bracket that I'm reaching?

And then I was thinking about what it means to be a "cougar." Am I fast-approaching "cougar" status? That seems impossible. I don't feel old (well sometimes I do). I don't think I can pull of a Mrs. Robinson-type seduction move at this point in my life, but according to the urban dictionary, I just may be a cougar. Crap. How did this happen? How is it that I'm almost 35 and have rarely dated anyone over 30. Sure, many of them have turned 30 by now, but they were never in their 30s when I dated them! (aw...remember Scott Bailey?)

Lately, I've been feeling out of touch with the 20 somethings so how, you ask, do I date one? Well, for the first several months, you're just getting to know someone and it's fun and age doesn't really matter as you like a lot of the same things. But now, another milestone is approaching, a year of dating the red head! And, I can't help but wonder if soon, he'll wake up and think he's dating a "cougar" - a woman on the prowl for younger love. Maybe he's already had that thought!

Since many of my readers are women also approaching or already over the hill (35+), I'd love to hear what you think. Would you consider yourself a cougar if you were in my shoes?

And, for anyone reading that is in their 20s, give a girl ("cougar") some advice! What's it like to be under 30? I fear that I no longer remember!