Best to go slow

Readers’ commentary regarding the man, 66, who wants to date his female friend who’s 20 (March 14):

“I’ve been vacationing in sunny weather, escaping snow and cold back home. I’m 62, divorced and single, looking for companionship.

“At a nice restaurant last night, my server, 34, struck up a conversation. She was attractive and interesting. We set up a date for dinner.

“She’s single and said she’s looking forward to our date. So am I! Often, I’ve run into the issue of age-differences affecting my dating chances.

“While the age difference is not as far apart as the other writer, a gap of almost 28 years is a lot. I’ll take your advice, treat her as a friend, and if it’s meant to be more, it will happen naturally.”

Ellie — Remember, I told him to “go slow” and to “care about her and about her future” by helping her see the differences between them besides the attraction.

Also, your “date” may see you as someone well-off enough to vacation while she has to work at a low-paying job. That makes her vulnerable, placing more responsibility on you as the older man. It’s not the age gap so much as maturity and life experience.

As other readers have shown in their disapproval, the 20-year-old might’ve been very vulnerable by comparison. But I repeat: Go slow.