May September Romance

Recently discussing with a friend about age, relationships, and compatibility - the topic of May September romance came up.
The concept of older men/ younger women is usually accompanied by the stereotype of gold diggers, whereas older women/ younger men equate the idea with cougars and sexual prowess of the older woman - a typical Mrs Robinson.
Why the disparity in concept for the same style relationship?

From HubPages:

"In general, the pros of the relationship include stability, learning from one another and lust. The latter is what tends to drive these relationships initially but that can be said of most relationships. It tends to merge into a sort of infatuation/appreciation that works for many couples over time. In general, these relationships tend to be more stable than other relationships because the older party tends to be patient and forgiving in a way that isn't true when dealing with your peers. The age difference tends to create a learning environment because each partner is in a different stage of life (and perhaps comes from different generational beliefs) which means that they are regularly faced with the opportunity to educate and inspire one another. These are all things that contribute to the positive end of the relationship.

On the flip side, there tend to be some power imbalances in these types of relationships. That stability can turn into a patronizing attitude that leads to resentment in the relationship. Additionally, there are a myriad of problems that being in different life stages can present. The biggest is whether and when to have children together. There are also problems with being in different career stages and having different priorities in life because of age. These are certainly problems that can be overcome but are challenges that tend to be present in the May-December romance." Kathryn Vercillo, author

Personally, I find that younger men seem to be able to keep up with my level of physical activity moreso than men my age but, (and a big but) intellectually and socially, we are on very different planes.
Considering I spend most of my free time doing outdoors or athletic activities - I am a physical person; running, biking, hiking, skiing, traveling, playing. I can't imagine my life without sports and a physical outlet, or a partner to share those things.
I think as I get older I realize the same things that we look at men cockeyed for - chasing around hot bodies, thinking very selfishly - women, as we get older have the same thoughts. I simply believe we are more prone to have considerations of others which we tend to put before ourselves and our needs. Kids, parents, society - these are all factors in our decision making process. Whereas men don't tend to have the same priority in choosing a partner.

The concept of an arm-piece for a man in his September prime toting around a young hottie brings to light the blatant obvious. Men like toys - a little arm candy. What better accessory to that new Porsche than a twenty-four year old strapless dress in CFM heels? And for women it's no different, I could perch my purse on the bar but why not have Adonis hold it?
Who needs stimulating conversation at home?
I have had conversations with men and women, both, 20 years my junior, and I will be the first to admit, it is entertaining at best. There is no reference point. There is no commonality. I revert back to my statement above, the most we have in common is physical activity. On the slopes there is no age. At the top of a Fourteener, there is no age gap in exhilaration. But, at the bar afterward there could be large blocks of silence.
Part of what is so fantastic about meeting someone is sharing life experience; not just today, but the humor in tomorrow and the history of yesterday.

Here's the thing, everything in life is analyzed on some level. Age, race, class, success, power - all these things offer valid points on the speculation of success (or failure) of any relationship. Every relationship has it's reason for being, so to speak. We are still human beings, growing, learning at every level. If any relationship lasts longer than three dates in this day and age, bravo! Give yourself an "attaboy".