In May this year, when I was in London with Mark, we took a walk one afternoon through Hyde Park. As we went past a group of girls, I distinctly heard one of them say
"*cough* Gold Digger"
I didn't even flinch. The last thing you want to do in a situation like this... is to give them the satisfaction of seeing that you are affected by their stupidity.

I don't know if Mark heard it but pretended not to (because he didn't want me to start getting paranoid about the issue)... or maybe he didn't hear it... or if I was just hearing things in the first place (doubt so.. if anything, I'm deaf because I don't listen well when people talk. So I think I definitely won't hear non-existent things!)
.I will re-visit the topic of
dating an older man, because now I am in a serious relationship with one and have perspectives on it which I didn't have before. But I'll leave that for another day.
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.Today, it's --> Are Women who date older men Gold Diggers? (What do you think?)

My answer : Not every woman who is dating an older man is doing it for the money!
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I am sick and tired of women (usually older) who bash younger women with older partners. When they give me dirty looks, I feel like shouting "Don't worry, I'll leave enough 40 something year old men for you too, I won't take them all!!!"
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However, I do admit, that when I was much younger, I used to think that EVERY relationship with an older man was basically a gold-digging situation.
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My first 2 boyfriends were younger than me. All things being equal (or so I thought)... Why would you want someone older when you can get a young man? I couldn't understand it.
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In fact, I still do think (quite often) that when I see a young woman with a man who has a fat gut, balding head and wrinkly skin (basically anyone unattractive.. doesn't have just to be old). It makes me think... there can't possibly be any sexual attraction there... so it must be cold hard cash.
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(yes, shallow of me to think that, I know. Yes, maybe it's true love or what not, and there's someone out there for everyone of us.... but I can't help my gut feeling!)
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Like any girl who is relatively good looking, I've had my foray into Gold Digging.
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The most recent being the time of last years Formula-1 race in Singapore. I met a guy at a party because we were seated around the same area. (I didn't have a BF yet btw)
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We chatted and then the subject moved to shopping. 'I like to buy nice things for girls,' he said.
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(Note the PLURAL)
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'Would you like me to take you shopping tomorrow?' he asked.
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I must say... boy it was bloody tempting! But he was in his 50s, wasn't physically attractive (to me)... and there was something very lurkish and sleazy about the way he looked at me.
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Didn't take the shopping offer, but he did pay for all the drinks at my table. (Thank You Very Much).
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But if he were good looking, and I was attracted to him... would the story have turned out differently?
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I don't know. Even if he were rich AND physically attractive, I just think that a man who uses his wealth as a hook to get women... is not very appealing. Like what sort of women is he trying to attract?!
Granted, if you worked at McDonald's I would not date you (no offence please. I'll be your friend, but I wouldn't find you attractive as a partner) ....But an obvious attempt at flaunting one's wealth is a turn off.
I think that a man who knowingly buys a woman is no better than the woman who agrees to sell herself. It reduces human interaction to the level of a business deal.
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So.. that said. Why am I with an older man now (who doesn't work at McDonald's and... well, isn't exactly poor)?
If I said that I would have gone on that first date with him even if he were poor and ugly. I'd be a liar. Obviously, I've got to pick my mate based on some sort of standard. Otherwise I'd be dating the whole damn world.
His physical attractiveness is a factor and his stable finances is comforting, but definitely not enough to make me love him. It takes a man of strong character and intelligence to have achieved what he has today. And THAT is the attraction for me. So, would I stand by my man even if he were to hit rock bottom by some twist of fate? Yes, without a doubt. I don't love him for his money, I love him for being the man that he is.
A man mature enough to be able to give without weighing and calculating what he gets back (and no, I'm not talking Money).
To me, at this point of my life, Nothing could be more attractive.
If you could see through my eyes, hear through my ears, smell through my nose and feel through my body and love through my heart... only then you would understand.
So please, keep the bitterness to yourselves.
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but I know you probably won't :)