Women have it made.

If a 45 year old woman dates a 25 year old guy, she receives applause and becomes known as a cougar. “Cougaring” has become a national phenomenon and it's a cute marketing term for women who indulge.

On the other hand, if a 45 year old man dates a 25 year old woman he is known as a Registered Sex Offender and is scorned for dating a chick young enough to be his daughter.

The marketing term for men who indulge is “pervert” (or dirty old man).

I was “cougared” a long time ago when I was 20 and working for ABC-FM in Chicago. We'd hired a very attractive 27 year old woman whose primary talents exploded under a skin tight blouse. One day, I, the very innocent Gregory Benjamin Budell was in the station music library searching for an album when I heard the door close behind me. I turned around, and there she was, peeling off (appropriate term since it fit like the skin on an apple) her top, asking if I wanted to have “some fun”.

I was scared bleepless!

Before you say “and you wonder why people think you're gay”, allow me to explain. In my 20 year old eyes, she looked ancient. Really. I was still somewhat nerdish in those days and the idea that our station mangler might walk in and catch us was too much. She had me pinned against a big stack of boxes containing Steely Dan albums and I thought she would suffocate me.

I don't recall how I broke loose from this woman, but I did. Good thing too, because it turned out she was involved with my boss- and had he caught us, my radio career (and life) might have come to an early conclusion.

She left the station a few weeks later when she and the boss parted ways. Our paths never crossed again, but that memory has crossed my mind more than a few times in the years since.

Have a great weekend! I will be spending mine in the Alice music library waiting for a knock on the door from Susan Woody!