| Age is just a number. Your driver's license | | | | It's even possible that you could lose the |
| might say that you're over fifty but you | | | | relationship because of this small lie |
| still have the energy and focus you did in | | | | because the trust is broken. These are the |
| your twenties. Unfortunately, when someone | | | | things you have to weigh before deciding if |
| asks you how old you are they usually don't | | | | you are going to start fibbing about how old |
| care about how old you feel. Ageism runs | | | | you are. If you do decide that it is worth |
| throughout society and it can be hard to | | | | the risks then you should be realistic in |
| overcome the stereotypes of what someone your | | | | your deception. Pretending to be a year or |
| age is expected to look and act like. It is | | | | two younger is one thing but when you start |
| enough to make a mature single person start | | | | taking off decades it looks ridiculous. |
| to consider shaving a few years off of their | | | | Also, it is much harder to be forgiven for a |
| age. In a perfect world potential dates would | | | | couple years then five or ten of them. And |
| be able to get the time to know you and your | | | | just because you are altering your age |
| personality before deciding if they want to | | | | doesn't mean that you should start trying to |
| start a relationship or not. But usually | | | | equally adjust the ages of everyone around |
| people don't have the time to really get to | | | | you. Trying to pretend that your children |
| know someone so instead they make decisions | | | | and grandchildren are also younger starts to |
| based on arbitrary things like age. It's | | | | get very complicated, not to mention that |
| possible that there is a perfect match for | | | | while you have the right to lie about |
| you out there who hasn't met you yet because | | | | yourself you don't have the right to do the |
| they are one or two years out of their ideal | | | | same for somebody else. Finally, you need to |
| age range. It can be especially hard for | | | | have an exit plan. Set a point in your mind |
| people using Internet dating sites where | | | | early in the relationship, one the sixth or |
| users are able to sort perspective matches by | | | | eighth date for example, when you are going |
| age. So with one click of a button a fun and | | | | to come clean. Give them just enough time to |
| feisty sixty-one year old could be left out | | | | get to know how vivacious and youthful you |
| even though she may look and act younger then | | | | are so that they can see that you are not |
| the fifty-nine year old that makes the cut. | | | | defined by your age. But the longer you wait |
| On the other hand it is never a good idea | | | | to tell the truth the harder it is going to |
| to begin a relationship with deception. At | | | | be. Of course the bigger question is if you |
| some point your real age is going to come | | | | really want to be involved with someone who |
| out, probably on your next birthday, and then | | | | considers youth to be a defining factor? |
| you need to be able to explain your motives | | | | Don't let society pressure you into changing |
| and rational. I remember a story of a couple | | | | who you are in an effort to fit in. You age |
| who were moving in together to an apartment | | | | is something you should be proud of because |
| and had to fill out forms for a background | | | | is a symbol of your experience and maturity. |
| check. When the apartment manager called | | | | Even if you do choose to fib about your age |
| back to alert them that the information she | | | | to try and meet somebody don't let the lie |
| supplied came back as fraudulent she had to | | | | consume you to the point that you feel |
| very quickly confess the truth and it was | | | | embarrassed by the truth. Growing old isn't |
| very embarrassing for everyone involved. | | | | easy, but it is better then the alternative. |