[Tommy]

A few year ago I saw a young female shop clerk gushing with "honey" and "sweetheart" for a very old man checking out just ahead of me. He grinned and enjoyed the attention. When I approached, she was back to the business-like demeanor ordinary customers get. That's when it occurred to me that she felt comfortable flirting with the old man because she sensed that he was unable/unwilling to respond in any real way. It also occurred to me to dread the time when young women flirt with me because I am deemed to be so old I am safe. I like to think that time has not arrived quite yet.