1.) A non-creepy story but it illustrates why girls talk to older men.

When I was in college, 18, I had a crush on a professor - because he was smart and funny. I remember thinking, "I hope boys I know, end up being as cute and cool as him when they're in their 40's..."

2.) I wasn't sexually attracted to the prof. I truly wasn't wired to feel attraction to MEN yet. Just boys my age. Anytime I had a crush on someone older - it was the same swell and rush of FEELING but without the turn-on. So, anyway...

3.) I just naturally assumed if you were older, and you weren't my parents or anyone I was related to, that you had your shit together. Period. Anyone older who thought I was smart and cool? OMG. It would mean I was actually smart and cool.

4.) So anyway, the aforementioned professor was appropriate, kind and a great influence on me. It would NEVER have dawned on me that he could be attracted to me (carefully read: I'm not saying he was) - I'm saying that I assumed he was talking to me because he was paid to & nice.

5.) As it turns out that's why he was talking to me. It was school related, it was his job and he was nice. BUT if he had reached out to me and asked me to dinner or something - because I did NOT know that men were attracted to teenagers (I really didn't) I would've been like,

6.) "Wow, I'm an adult! I'm on his level!" See, because girls aren't socialized to only think of men as sex objects. So, we believe them when they treat us like they want to talk to us. We don't have a thing called "the friend zone" that we get all mad about. We respect guys.

7.) We think being friends with them is great. So, anyway - I can't imagine if someone FAMOUS and OLDER wanted to talk to me? Unless they said, "Hey let's make out" I would've been like, "Cool. Weird but cool. Maybe I'll start hanging out in cooler places than my dumb school."

8.) And so when you ask young girls why they even talk to an older celeb in the first place - that's why. And that's why many conversations end at, "Let's make out." It may seem obvious to YOU when you see all of the texts - but in REAL TIME? Girls are CONSTANTLY giving men

9.) the benefit of the doubt. And then life experience makes you a little more - "Oh, what's this now?" But you CANNOT shame a teenager - for fuck sake, A TEENAGER for texting with a grown-up. The grown-ups are supposed to PROTECT THEM. That's all.

10.) Obvi we're told to stay away from creeps. But I was raised to avoid men in white vans (not the sneaker ;), or men who whistled at me. I hadn't learned yet that sometimes men who TALK TO YOU AT ALL- are thinking you're into them when you're just treating them like a person.

11.) So when we're talking to someone, assuming that they're talking to us for the same basic non-sexual but mutual respect reasons - and the talk takes a turn - it takes a minute to recalibrate. And we tell ourselves, "Nooooo. Is this...?" Again it's why THE GROWN UP in the

12.) situation is fucked up. Okay. That's really all.

13.) Men. I don't care if you're my fan - so I'm liberally blocking. I don't want your jokes, hitting on me, your "not all men", Your "sorry for my gender" your or any of your basic bullshit in this thread. This is a space for women to talk & you can read it & shut the fuck up.