Does age matter when it comes to love??

Okay, so listening to the radio today, I heard that Mel Gibson is dating someone almost 30 years his junior and 5 years younger than his daughter.  I’ve dated a lot older than me and never had a problem with it until recently.  My average age of dating older is ten years, but I’ve gone as high as 17 years.  Does it really make a difference in the age we date? 

 Many of my friends ask me if I’ve dated younger and I haven’t really been interested in younger men.  I don’t have that “cougar” instinct.  Hmmmm, maybe that’s my problem!  Since I think emotionally I’m so young (my mom would say immature) I may be better suited to someone younger! 

Here’s my thoughts….  In my 30′s I didn’t have a problem dating older because they were in their 40′s early 50′s.  Now that I’m in my 40′s, they are pushing 60!  The problem with that is, the age gap is going to continue to get larger because they are going to be slowing down and I’m still going to be (at least in my mind) younger.  Do I really want to be 50 and be with someone in their late 60′s??  A friend of mine married a man 17 years her senior and it wasn’t really noticeable until he hit 70.  Then the health problems started and it was really difficult. 

I also find that even though I have a lot in common with older men, I also have a lot of differences.  Music, movies and even sex (I want it more than they do) can be challenges because we have different frames of references and different sex drives.  I’m now gravitating to men that are within 7-8 years of my age, because it just seems easier and less complicated.

Not sure about the younger man thing, many of my friends are trying it, with a lot of success actually!  So, how old is too old and how young is too young?  Anyone have thoughts??