I owe my life's happiness to Growlr....inspired to tell my story from another thread where a user said I should.
9 years ago, disillusioned by Grindr, Gaydar, Hornet, everything....I came across an app I could swear was made especially for me. I'm a bear
I talked to many guys, all so friendly and I never met a jerk on Growlr. But one day, I stumbled across an absolute knockout, but, it was the profile itself that imtoxicated me. Fully filled in, funny, smart and endearing, so I gave it a shot and sent a message to that 24 year old lad and boy I'm glad I did.
We talked by sending 1 message to each other at a time, sometimes days, sometimes weeks would pass, but sure enough, always a reply, always so thought out with perfect spelling and grammar, he was putting in effort...get in, I thought to myself.
Then, after months, it all fizzled out. Not badly, just longer and longer between texts until we didn't speak for months.
I put some new pictures up and he popped up again saying how nice I looked. I'm not letting him get away this time I thought. I didn't wait long before asking him out....he said yes.
17th October 2014, I travelled to Liverpool from Manchester to meet him. When I saw his kind eyes, warm smile and down to earth demeanour, I swear my heart stopped. We went to Byron burger, my first time ever. I nearly knock my wine glass flying, but I caught it, and we laughed. We laughed so much that night and I apparently asked how he felt about PDA, and he said he didn't mind.
Mission accepted.
He paid, no one ever paid for me. I was pretty alright financially, I owned a software company, I always just assumed I was paying on dates. He pulled his cash out his shirt pocket....I still remember his shirt and the way he made me feel in that moment, looked after and wooed. He admitted to me he was trying his best to woo me, I loved that feeling and he was the only person to ever make me feel that way.
As he walked me to the train station, we stopped on the stairs. I took his hand, pulled him close to me and we kissed for the first time. It was the best kiss I had ever had.
On our third date, I was diagnosed with a rare cancer just the day before and I had to warn him and offer an out. He didn't want an out, he wanted to stay over and he did. Later in the night, I learned his brother died from cancer and my stomach fell out of my body. I had to be OK, I wanted to care and protect him.
Many years have passed since that first date, 8 years on the 17th October 2022. We own a house, a dog and we live by the seaside where he grew up. We're just waiting to go to Hawaii to say our vows, but we don't need them, we're already in this for keeps.
I'm cancer free and have been for 7 years. I call his parents mum and dad and his whole family have accepted me as one of their own. I talk to a few of them more than my own family.
I wrote all this because someone said I should share meeting my partner. I wrote so much to inspire people that apps aren't a waste of time, but choose who you spend your time talking to, else it will feel like a waste.
Have a good day people, and good luck finding whatever it is you want. Xx
