Your Stories

Swartz Creek, MI, USA on the 10th of June, 2006, at 5:00pm

By Matthew P

Sometimes the magic happens a little later in life.

It was the second time around for her and the third for me. We didn't know each other well at all, not quite a blind date, but definitely an "out on a limb" experience for both of us! I listened to an inner nudge that said, "Why not ask her out."
A 40-something man was like an inexperienced teenager when I called. It went something like this:

Me: Hi! How's it going?
Her: I'm good. What's up?
Me: Well, I was...er...wondering if you might want to go out sometime?
Her: Yes, I think that I would.
Me: You would??? Oh....ok....that's great!
Her: When were you thinking?
Me: Oh....well....how about this Saturday....if that's not too soon?
Her: Actually Saturday would work out quite well.
Me: That's great!
Her: What would you like to do?
Me: Oh....well...um....how about dinner and a movie?
Her: Ok. What time would you like to come get me?
Me: Well....um....how does 5:00 sound?
Her: That would be fine.
Me: Great! I'll look forward to seeing you then. Bye.
Her: Bye.


Can you tell that it had been a number of years since I had done this? We still smile about my ineptitude today!

I picked her up at 5:00pm at her home in Swartz Creek, Michigan USA on June 10, 2006. We had dinner at a Middle Eastern Restaurant and almost missed the movie because the conversation flowed much more naturally then it did on the phone call. She told me later one of her biggest concerns was that the conversation would be forced and awkward. We went to see The DaVinci Code to round out a perfect evening.

On Sunday we went for a walk in a local nature preserve and talked for several hours. Both of us had a "baggage" from failed previous relationships. Neither of us was into playing the games that sometimes get played at the beginning of a new relationship. We were comfortable enough with ourselves to say, "This is who I am, and this is what I want." Had that not been what the other was looking for, we would have parted as friends with no hard feelings.
Suffice it to say that the walk, and the conversation, continued.
We both had to work on Monday. I got up and around early so I could go to the store and buy flowers and deliver them to her office before we met briefly for coffee. We were pretty much inseparable from that point on. One year of getting to know each other and blending our two families - she has three children and I have one - we were married.

Through the ups and downs that have happened, I remain thankful that I listened to that initial nudge and those lucky stars that brought this amazing soulmate into my life.