When thinking over today’s prompt: write about an hour that changed my life, the temptation was to try to think of a big dramatic event, but when I was thinking about hours that have changed my life significantly they’ve not happened in isolation, and most often have occurred because I’ve been brave enough to put myself out there, go after new opportunities and remain open-minded and curious.

There have been significant hours where I’ve filled out important course applications, important job applications, taken a deep breath and sent my writing out into the world to be read…

Signed up for a dating site again, putting myself out there, hoping, maybe this time…

And a message that popped up from that dating site then led to an hour which did change my life in a very pleasant, unexpected way. When I met my now husband.

And thinking back I had no idea I was walking towards my last first date.

And the man running down the street towards me, ten minutes late, was actually perfectly on time, meeting me when I felt in the right place and ready for him.

That first hour we spent time getting to know each other, checking we were who we hoped, discovering if we matched up to the online dating persona (or in my husband’s case surpassing it seeing as he had written in his profile he had a peg leg and sold golf balls at the Barras). I remember the detail of the day – it was late October and unnaturally warm and I remember the detail of him… in those first couple of minutes the flash of first impressions when the sun shone in his eyes, reflecting shades of green and his smile was a mix of confidence and youthful energy and there was always a sense of calm, and later laughter.

Our relationship unfolded so naturally from that initial hour onwards that I never paused to think about the significance of that first meeting, of where it might go, because it just….went…flowed naturally without drama.

And I still remember that spark of anticipation when he sent me a message after we met to tell me he got a parking ticket, but I was totally worth it.

And then I definitely thought, maybe this time…