Ann Lindgren and Jared Johnson[/caption]Carol Forsloff --When one thinks of special friendships among older women and younger men, they think of young to middle aged adults; but among seniors the attitudes have also changed, as some have found new vistas to explore in relationships.
Since women live longer than men statistically, there are more women available in the later years of life. This means the pool of women is large, and the number of men available for close friendships, or even romance, dwindles. So it is a clever woman who is able to bypass stereotypes to find that younger man to fill the need of having a mate, even if it’s for a simple social event, like dancing.
Ann Lindgren and Jared Johnson are a bright, happy couple with the eagerness for life that one often sees among those who forge their own individual path in life and relationships. Lindgren had been married and lived in the East Coast, returning to the Portland, Oregon area after the death of her husband. Through information provided by friends and family, she found herself at a senior center and other social events, where she met Johnson, sharing with him mutual interests, especially dancing.
Now the couple is seen at dances and picnics and other events, continuing to share those common interest and the passion for life and living that is reflected in their faces and their interaction with each other.
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has written about cougar-cub relationships and like many who have observed the phenomenon, treats the topic as one that shows how diverse seniors can be and how they too take on some of the patterns of modern life in order to make their way through autumn and winter years.
Cougar – cub relationships are more acceptable now, so that as seniors expand their social choices some will include that sizzling someone whose attraction is not limited to the physical but the interests and activities folks can share at any age.
