Time changes everything

When I was a kid, a million years ago, I remember Teen Beat and Tiger magazines, complete with Shawn Cassidy, Scott Baio, and Leif Garrett. I was never much into the whole being a “fan” thing but secretly, I loved looking at Shawn Cassidy. I tended to be attracted to surfer boys back then.

As I got older, it became a fascination with Jon Bon Jovi’s smile and rock star persona.
Now, even further into my life, I am attracted by George Clooney’s smile and little mischievous boy persona. My attention was caught by the bad boys, no longer the surfer boys.

If I were an older woman, I think I would have swooned at Cary Grant. He embodies suave, charm, and cool to me. When I was born, Elvis was all the rage. There was no one bigger than Elvis. Both of these men embodied sex appeal and confidence.

When my mom was young, it was Bobby Darin or Marlon Brando or James Dean or Frank Sinatra. (As I was writing about this, I realized that they’re all bad boys too. That must up the attractiveness quotient. Well, other than Bobby Darin, he was more of a surfer boy...)

Now two of the men she admires, other than my husband whom I think she loves more than me, is Jeff Foxworthy and Alan Jackson. She calls them a tall drink of water, which makes me giggle.

Funny how our tastes change, as we grow older. My mom said when I was younger, what I found attractive then wasn’t necessarily what I would find attractive always.
I remember mentioning that I didn’t like a certain physical attribute to her and she asked “What happens if you fall in love with someone but they have that attribute?” Of course, in my teenaged, all-knowledgeable self, I said that I would NEVER be attracted to that attribute.
As always, she was right. Whereas my husband doesn’t have that attribute, I’ve certainly found men attractive who have it.

I used to like the surfer boys but I married a tall, dark and handsome man. I used to be attracted to the bad boys but I've married a fine upstanding citizen.

Strange how our tastes change as time goes by.