Communicating with younger women has aided my overall perspective on the gender

By Fernie Ruano Jr.

I’ve been accused of rocking the cradle once or twice, most notably by 40-something girlfriends and former schoolmates, all torn between envy and disdain because they can’t stomach a 43-year-old man spilling the creamer on a 28-year-old Cuban woman three times a week while she screams, “Hay papi!”, they’re going on their third marriage, stalk their best friend’s son on Facebook or open the door at 6 p.m. every day to a crying 7-year-old with Nutella and spaghetti sauce all over his LeBron James’ t-shirt.

And a barking dog. I could care less.

Yes, I take much pride in seeing them out and about with their kids, whether they’re married or not; whether the doctor she’s been married to since 1991 is rocking his secretary or not; whether the 25-year-old guy she’s been “seeing” for three weeks can only do her –proud - on Saturday nights at 2 a.m., or not.

But a soft mattress aside, I have always taken pride in being able to communicate with younger women, on the beach, over a cup of coffee and at the mall. Beyond a corny pick-up line or invitation to the sack, it has not only allowed me a broader perspective on the gender, but aided one of my lifetime mottos: Age is just a number.

That’s why I smiled this morning when I read Que Pasa U.S.A.-alumni, Miami-bred actor Steven Bauer, 57, is dating 18-year-old Lyda Loudon according to US Weekly. The pair recently stepped out together for a “Magic In The Moonlight” premiere at the Linwood Dunn Theatre in Los Angeles.

According to a quick hit-and-run on her Twitter account, Loudon is a “journalist, host of Sarcasm Overdose, CEO, fulltime wild child and expresso addict”, among other things. “(It) melted my nonexistent heart,” the apparently very educated socialite managed to say about the film.  “It’s good for the whole family (to go see).”

Alright, I’m in no way promoting that all men should go looking for a Miley Cyrus, iPhone-loving ornament, or searching for love in a high school parking lot for that matter. And in this case there’s enough prove – Do you need more than Twitter these days? – that Loudon, or Bauer, don’t spend much time during the day sober.

But there’s a lesson here: Loudon, who appears to be speeding towards rehab, can learn from Bauer, who has had his share of personal setbacks in recent years, including with alcohol. And even though getting these two to communicate whenever they’re not sitting at the bar or rolling around in the backseat might be a difficult task, there’s nothing that says you can’t learn from one another, no matter the age gap.

I don’t sleep with my 29-year-old friend every day. But I do speak to her on a daily basis, read with her occasionally and cook in her kitchen , all without ever removing her clothes.

Just learning...

Trust me.