From time to time I publish some of the interesting emails that I get. Here is one from a man who is a big proponent of relationships between older men and younger men.

"The first love of my life was quite a bit older than me. I was twenty and she was thirty-six. She was such a beautiful, happy, and generous woman. Although I have been married quite a while to someone else, I still frequently think of her and all the great times we had together in our four year relationship. She was a very positive influence in my life and I still love her. Perhaps the greatest sin of my life was to propose marriage to her, then call it off. Alas, she could not have children. She thought the world of me.

Well, the bottom line here is the well-earned wisdom of loving an older woman. Most men I know are far more mature than their female counterparts of the same age, particularly through their teens and twenties. I have always told them to date older women, but they are very apprehensive for a lot of reasons. My advice to any one faced with this fortunate possibility is to go ahead and do it!!

Love is rare enough without limiting oneself to some antiquated paradigm. The world has changed for those pursuing romance with younger men, older women. I say for the BETTER!!"

Recommended article: Tips on dating younger men

Steal someone's boyfriend

Katrina has a serious crush on her sister's boyfriend. "In the begining I spotted out signs that he likes me. For example, he'd talk to me and reach out to me when he got a chance. However, I'm an extremely shy woman. I have read all about how to flirt and I tried to practice them in front of a mirror and with a friend but I just couldn't do it. And what's devastating for me is that he and my sister are now getting pretty close and she talks about him a lot. I can't tell her, and I know that it might be a good idea to tell her but I just can't and won't. Can you help me in anyway or is it hopeless? I really like him so much that I almost want to steal him from my sister," she says. (Related article: How to reduce your shyness?)

Maybe you have lost your chance with him. He liked you in the beginning but when because of your shyness you did not respond to his advances, he got closer to your sister (maybe she has some things in common with you and he liked that). At this point if you tell your sister how you feel about him will depend on how close you are to her. For instance, she may get hurt and feel jealous that you want somebody that she likes too and that will simply ruin your relationship with her. Alternatively, you may also find out that she is not so serious about him and is just having a good time. If she finds out that you are the one who is so seriously in love with him, she might even back off and help you out. So you must watch carefully where she is going with this and how good your relationship with her is.

But it does not mean that you should not talk to him (this advice is applicable for all men that you might be attracted to in the future) or flirt with him. It may be even easier now that she is close to your sister.

Now how can you flirt when you are so shy?

One trick to do it is to eliminate the feeling that you have for a person. So how would you talk to the mailman? Or how would you talk to someone at a store? Or how would you talk to a girlfriend? You will be totally normal in these situations and so talk to him as you would to any other person. Do not try to make any special impressions - just be yourself. Little by little you will realize that it is no big deal to talk to people.

You can also make small comments about something when you meet him - the weather, the movies, or even sports. Eventually you will see that a bond develops and it can turn into something more than just two people in school. And finally, if this doesn't work out, not too worry. Life is about opportunities. Some we lose, but if we keep our eyes open there are opportunities every where. We just need to grab them. But I do not recommend that you steal your sister's boyfriend no matter how much you like him.

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