So, I was watching "Nights In Rodanthe" over the weekend (save the judgment--you know you've all seen a Nicholas Sparks movie---or four!) and sharing a bottle of wine with, *cough*, myself (again, you know you've been there) and was almost hit over the head with my sudden attraction to Richard Gere.
And, no, it wasn't the wine (ok, maybe just a wee bit). I started looking at him....I mean really looking. I took in his full head of hair (albeit gray), his eyes (especially the crow's feet around them), his face (yeah, the one that starred in "An Officer and a Gentleman" the year I was in the second grade) and, well, suddenly the whole Richard Gere package was just working for me.
I could imagine doing really naughty things with this man who had to be old enough to be my father (yup, just checked his IMDB profile, he is). As I pushed my knowledge of his humanitarian mumbo jumbo and his love of the Dalai Lama to the back of my mind (such a buzz kill), I wished I was his leading lady. I imagined that I was Diane Lane's character, a blanket draped around my shoulders, our bodies touching as we stood on the porch of the bed and breakfast, staring out at the wild sea.
But here's the thing, this wasn't the first Richard Gere movie I'd seen. I don't remember thinking naughty things when I saw him in "Unfaithful" a few years ago. But I do clearly remember daydreaming about Oliver Martinez-- the much younger actor that Diane Lane was doing the nasty with. (Again, so wanting to be her).
So why Richard Gere? Why now? Is it because I'm getting older? It's true I'm about to turn 36 and maybe I've been thinking about that-- a lot.
With each passing year am I going to be more attracted to "older" men and less attracted to the younger ones? I pray not! I want to be a cougar when I qualify (when is that, BTW?). It's a label I'll proudly wear.
But the question is--can I have desires for males on both sides of the age hemisphere? Can I simultaneously lust after the picture of my current boyfriend at age 19 (like when his shirtless photo was posted on Facebook last week) and a man who watched Neil Armstrong land on the moon on live TV?
When I told Liz about my lust for Richard Gere, she proudly exclaimed that she thinks Tom Selleck is just as hot now as he was when he starred in Magnum, P.I. twenty nine years ago. (Incidentally, dear 'ol Tom is four years older than Richard, but who's counting?).
So what other distinguished gentleman would star in my personal fantasy?... Of course there's Pierce Brosnan (who you might be shocked to learn is 56!-- I know I am!), Harrison Ford (when did Indiana turn 67?) and, of course, George Clooney (almost 50--but I'm convinced he'll still be hot when he's 85!).
So next time People's Sexiest Man Alive is a silver fox, we should all pay more attention. As far as I'm concerned, gray is the new black.