IS OLDER BETTER OR OVER THE HILL?

I've never lied about my age, I've got the year of my birth listed in my profile for the whole world to see. I talk about Sweet Thang, the fact that he's 5 years younger than me, and give more than a few hints that I still enjoy an intimate relationship, hell let's be honest, SEX.

So the following e-mail just burned my butt:

Young men don't want older women. That is a fallacy. They prefer young, tight bodies. Men with money and position don't want older women, they can and do have much younger women. Realistically, a young man may "test drive" an older woman, but that is all it will be, a test drive and a limited engagement, if it goes beyond 1 night. Older women are not attractive to younger men or to men with money and position. We can, and do, afford, much better. Sorry, but these are the facts.

Is it true that men only date a woman who is "seasoned" because he doesn't have the money to lure some hardbody gold-digger? Is arm-candy more important to the average male than someone who really cares and won't dump him if his checkbook doesn't go to 6 digits?

I admit that I enjoy the sight of a young stud with washboard abs, but at 6'5" and 350 pounds, Sweet Thang ain't one of them. But we make each other laugh, we have things in common and our personal relations leave me with no complaints. He has a good job, his own home and a fair amount of disposable income, so is it true that if he won the lottery he would leave me for some bimbo named Bambi?

Joan Myres has a photo exhibit entitled Women of a Certain Age where she states:

As a woman recently turned fifty, I find myself less and less comfortable with the way American culture defines and portrays older women. I reject these cultural limitations for my own aging. I use my camera to explore possibilities, the messages and histories expressed in other women's bodies. I wish less to define than to reveal.
None of my friends would pose for me. That was my first lesson. "My body is not beautiful," said one. Another delayed a shooting session repeatedly until she "got in shape."
Where are the images of older women? Who defines what is beautiful? Is "beautiful" part of the definition of who a woman is? We all age daily. The body but records the passing of time. What does aging have to do with being a woman? --Joan Myers

OK all you guys out there. We women of a certain age want to know how you really feel. What matters most to you, age and looks or personality and heart.
Technorati: Women of a Certain Age, Relationships, Ageing