I just finished reading Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks. It took me a just a few hours to finish. It was pretty much typical of Nicholas Sparks' style of writing. I thought it was pretty good. I wouldn't go as far to say that is was a momentous love story that would shake the world. As it often is in Sparks' books, its not about first loves and flaming passion like in most romance novels, but instead more about family values, getting over loss and heartbreak, and changing for the better. Some people might get teary-eyed after reading it.

The copy that I read had the movie poster's picture on the front with Richard Gere and Diane Lane and I must say that as I read, I kept picturing Richard Gere as the character. Although I've yet to watch the movie, I know Richard Gere is perfect for the part. I just think he is very hot for an older man.

Like Mr Sheffield (another good-looking guy with graying hair) in a Nanny episode I watched recently said, "...age improves a person - like fine wine. The older it is, the finer its taste." (I don't think I quoted it 100% correctly but who's checking anyway)

People who know me enough will roll their eyes at this. Yes, I'm infamous for having a penchant for more mature men. (I do not like the term 'old men'. Its an insult not only to me, but to those men!) It's not the number that I personally find attractive, but the gray hair at the temples, the laugh lines around the mouth and eyes, that confidence they emanate and don't take me wrongly when I say this, but also their experiences. They have gone through more things in life and are therefore, wiser. They don't take things for granted like we younger people do. They're more stable, reliable, responsible, confident, unhurried, and have more perspective. In simpler terms, they are more mature.

Then again, a man of maturity does not necessarily mean he's also older. I won't try to deny that some guys do mature earlier than others. And that is just all right with me. Again, its not the number of years, but the quantity in those years. People who have experienced more in life at a younger age tend to seem more mature than their peers. Its all about experience really. Someone who have seen the harder side of what life can offer and learn from it, is the one that would most likely appeal to me.

But let's face it, people. It's scientifically proven that girls mature faster than boys. So a woman of 24 may already be thinking like someone of 30 but a man of the same age may still be thinking like an 18 year old. But for their credit, men will catch up eventually and then overtake us girls completely. In my opinion, when a guy finally grows up, he really does grow up. In many ways, they can be more mature than women. I'm not undermining my own gender, but men and women were made to complement each other. What we women lack, men provide; what men lack, we provide. So, we need guys! Their perspectives is, of course, different than ours but are still a useful input.

Honestly, I always ask my guy friends about the view from that side. My favourite questions are, "How do you know a guy likes you?/How do you show a girl you like her?", "Do guys prefer making the first move?/Do they like it if a girl makes the first move?". Most of the time, the answers vary from one guy friend to the next and it's not really what you want to hear, but I know for certain that the answers were the honest opinions of a guy. And guys can be brutally honest. Probably that's why I enjoy the company of guys at times. Their straightforward thinking, no bitchiness, biases and embellishments are sometimes better to be had. Sure, guys can be notorious liars but their simplistic thinking is refreshing sometimes. With girls, there is always this lingering hidden agenda thing, this facade so that you don't have physical proof to hate her but you kinda know that she's merely putting a front of friendliness. Girls can be meaner than boys simply because the girls usually aim the dagger at your back. (Think Mean Girls)

Damn, there I go, digressing. This Boy versus Girl thing will probably pop up now and again in other posts.

So, mature men. I definitely am not one for the pretty-young-thing-dating-a-grandfather cliche. Its really gross. I'm sorry to have to say this but those girls usually are there for the benefit e.g. money. Gold-diggers are still out there, no matter what century we live in. A lot of people choose to marry for money, and set aside love. "We can learn to love later." Yeah right. In this kind of situation, both sides are to blame. The girl, for being so materialistic and dependant. The guy, for being so disillusioned that a younger, prettier girl wants to go out with you because of your charm and personality. To the guy, I say "No matter how much you think she loves you, she loves your wallet and bank account more and people are still gonna look at you and see an old geezer being fooled by a gold-digger."

Paradoxically however, I do believe in older men marrying younger women and vice versa. Love can happen in those situations. But personally, there's only so far I will go to be with an older man. 5 years is ideal but the most is 10 years. More than that, I think the gap is too big to fill. Sure, you love each other but come off it, there's a whole decade, a generation in between. I just think it'll be harder because each person will have lived in different worlds. The younger half will probably still want excitement and adventure while she's still young and attractive but then the older half will be more into settling down to the comfortable and steady routine of family life. Cracks will inevitably show.

To be very physically-speaking on the other hand, an older guy will know the ways of love better. Think about it. He's been there before. He probably made mistakes the first few times around but he's also probably better at it now than then, right? And they have more respect for women somehow. They've come to a time where they really don't care for all those temporary thrills anymore. They're looking for a real life partner. So there you know that he'll treat you right and be serious. If you're also looking for serious relationships, a mature guy is the way to go.

Personally speaking, I want to have fun too. Its no fun if the first guy you like/love/date is the guy you should marry. What's the harm in meeting a few people first and then settle down? Anyhow, you yourself will need to be ready to settle down a.k.a. get a job and save money before you can be sure of taking such a huge, life-changing step like marriage. Hasty marriages make hasty divorces.

I probably could keep going on about love, marriage, guys, girls and hot older guys but I'll save the rest of my ideologies for another post. There's just so much to write on those topics anyway.

But before I go, I think for this kind of post I must absolutely say something about Gerard Butler. He's got loads of sex appeal for one (all that solidness, those intense gray-green eyes, husky Scottish-accented voice, lopsided smile, graying dark hair, sexy stubble, those lines that pop up when he laughs or smiles...sigh). He's really just sex on legs (hee hee..I know I'm naughty for saying this but I can't help it.) He's going to marry me someday. I always say that one day he'll find me and whisk me away to bliss.

Good-looking older men are super hot. Period.