When I was a kid I thought that animals decided to live in environments that hid them from predators. I, in my logical wisdom, finally figured out that the reason some animals blend into their surroundings is that they just happen to be undetectable and were spared long enough to procreate.

Then I noticed the bright colored plumage of male birds - the "eyes" of the peacock, the iridescent pheasant, the red-winged blackbird, California quail, bantam chickens and the turkey with its bright colored wattle. I haven't majored in ornithology so I asked my husband who knows about such things why this was so. He informed me that it is a case of the male strutting to show off his finery to attract a female. Luckily I had the sparkling eyes and bouncy brown hair that he was drawn to. In his case it wasn't his tail feathers that caught my eye but his sexy, resonant voice.

Unlike other animals, Homo sapiens use their ingenuity and industry to create camouflage for the purpose of attraction as well as cover up. I am at the age when the beauty seeking society is not amused by fat cells, wrinkles and dark circles under the eyes. There are entire corporate marketing strategies to boost profits by producing enhancements and cover ups for grandmothers like me. After all, the Baby Boomers have now reached age 60 so we are facing the youth cult together.

Computer creases on the back of the neck can be covered with beautiful silk scarves. Allergy circles under the eyes are soothed with cover up sticks. Toenail polish covers that unsightly fungus. Potions of every persuasion can fill in the wrinkles and tighten the double chin. Exotic perfumes and brilliant jewelry catch the eye.

Younger women can get by with sleeveless tops that Grandma once called underwear. They attract with tattoos that were reminiscent of drunken sailors when I was young. Yes, younger women can still wear three-inch high heels that enhance the hip swing.

I agree with the Baby Boomers in their march into the sixties that there must soon be a new rating system to aid a dating partner in seeking out social compatibility, empathy and friendliness. The bachelor's insistence on the buxom bosom, silky blonde locks and full red lips must not prevail forever. Media presentations that now influence the younger women waiting to step into the limelight of dating must change their focus on outward appearance and the youth cult.

It is time for the Real Woman who is ready to stand alongside the Real Man. Maybe the battle of the sexes will give way to a new compatibility. Hope so.

Georgie Bright Kunkel is a freelance writer and speaker on aging, using humor in your life, women's issues, the Holocaust and more and can be reached at gnkunkel@comcast.net