Life in the Boomer Lane and her two co-authors have spent the last seven years writing books about life over 50, speaking to countless women's groups and organizations, appearing in the media and conducting workshops based on their books.
A couple of years ago, we created a Facebook page, inviting women at midlife and beyond to contribute and share their experiences, thoughts and concerns about life at this age. It was envisioned not as a place to present victimhood ("My husband left me for a hot young tart after 45 years of blissful marriage in which I put him through med school, raised our seven children, always had a hot meal on the table and maintained my wedding day weight"), but to see the possibilities that life presents in the face of what may appear to be obstacles. Our goal was to inspire women at midlife and beyond to live from vision, rather than from circumstances. Instead, it became a trolling site for hot young guys who were looking for older women.
Who were these young men and how did they find us? And why did they not post their contact info on the site? And did the message that these men presented include the possibility of sex without the aid of artificial lubricants? Were there toys involved? Most importantly, since we have made no money on book sales, could we now make money from matching older women with younger men?
These were the questions with which we wrestled. We were faced with a conundrum: take down the Facebook page or turn it into meeting place for older women and younger men. Because we pride ourselves on being powerful, visionary women of a certain age, our first thoughts that we shared with each other consisted of "Hot damn!"
Our second thoughts were little puppies that peed on the carpets of our first thoughts. Were these guys from parts unknown, looking to bilk us out of our hard-earned cash or worse, to seek citizenship in this country? Our third thoughts were to wonder if it would be possible to test the guys out first before making a decision.
Because LBL was the actual creator of the Facebook page, and because she wanted first dibs on the guys, to spare her co-authors any grief, she took a hard look at the site. It appeared that aside from an invitation from a group called Gay Chubby and Daddy Lovers, there was nothing that was untoward.
Either one of LBL's co-authors got to the site and purged the young guys, or she has contacted them herself. Of course, her co-authors denied any knowledge of why these men have now disappeared. LBL remains skeptical. She will now visit the site regularly to see if any of them come back.
If you are one of those hot guys who has disappeared, know that LBL will remain ever vigilant. But don't let that stop you.
(Author's Note: LBL remains a happily married woman who, despite Now Husband's ongoing reluctance to recycle, is not looking for online romance. Any references otherwise are solely for the purposes of humor. Although if you know a hot young guy who is committed to recycling, please let her know)