Joe and Rebecca met through their dogs Dexter and Red. The first time was around 2014, their dogs are the same breed and having known each other well from puppies, they had developed a lovely bond. Rebecca knew Joe but he was always in a hurry and often fobbed her off. Rebecca recalls on one particular occasion (a few months before they started dating) when the dogs were so excited to see each other and Joe literally just kept walking even after Rebecca tried to engage him. She remembers thinking at the time – WOW he’s kind of rude.
In May 2017 just after arriving back from the UK and being jetlagged Rebecca decided to stay awake and take the dog for a walk at the beach – there was Red and Joe – in contrast from the last time she’d seen Joe he was engaging and polite- at the same time Rebecca ran into her work friends and they wanted to hear all the goss on her big holiday. She had to say to her friend- I love you but I really want to talk to this guy and let the dogs play – they were like long lost brothers together and Rebecca swears there was another force at play that day.
Rebecca said she felt very drawn to Joe, like cupid had punched her in the face. Rebecca had been divorced for 17 years and single for 8 and hadn’t been remotely interested in love or any form of relationship for a very long time. Joe had been living the bachelor’s life for a few years and he wasn’t looking for anything serious either.
They walked along the beach and chatted, about what they can’t recall. Rebecca does recall thinking how interesting and comfortable it was. The conversation flowed with ease. They parted ways and Rebecca felt excited but sad because they hadn’t exchanged details. By the time she got home Rebecca had a Facebook friend request from Joe. She was pretty happy as she now had some way to stay in touch. Being old fashioned and very out of touch with romance Rebecca wasn’t going to message or contact him. She reasoned that “If he likes me, he’d make the move.” The weeks past and she heard nothing, leaving Rebecca a tad disappointed, thinking she’d clearly read more into the experience than Joe did.
Then finally 6 weeks after a post Rebecca made about a HUGE excess water bill due to a cracked pipe under the driveway, Joe contacted her with some advice. They got talking and exchanged numbers and he asked her for another walk with the dogs, and dinner the same night. Apparently, Joe thought She’d have a partner and needed to make sure Rebecca was single before he asked her out. She felt embarrassed saying “let’s go to the RSL club – I like it there and it is relaxing.” Little did she know it was LITERALLY Joe’s second home.
That was the first day of their new life. A new best friend, a crazy lover with an insatiable desire for life. They moved in together about 9 months later.
During the last 5 years they’ve had their share of ups and down – over 30 years of policing, long hours for them both with shift work and blended families – it served to provide plenty of hurdles. The one thing that never faltered was their strong bond and connection. A connection that made overcoming hurdles worthwhile. They are imperfect but it works.
Rebecca is untidy BUT a GERMAPHOBE (not a bad thing for a theatres nurse)
Joe is tidy but isn’t concerned AT ALL about germs (this drives Rebecca to distraction)
Joe hogs the remote and channel surfs between multiple games shows.
Rebecca barely watches TV and will be busy creating a mess somewhere like making a new outfit.
Joe likes Golf – Rebecca LOATHES Golf.
Joe likes to tell Rebecca how to drive – Joe has road rage on steroids.
Rebecca has a sweet tooth – joe isn’t into sweets at all.
Joe support the Bulldogs and Rebecca supports the Dragons, which highlights that sometimes they can both be wrong.
BUT What works for Joe and Rebecca?
They both love STAR WARS (HUGE fans)-
they share political views – similar mind sets on most ideologies.
They are both crazy animal lovers.
They are both physical in nature and enjoy walking and adventuring in new places with hiking and 4WD.
They both have had jobs serving the community.
They have learnt how to manage / complement each other’s short falls or difficult traits.
They are great lovers and friends.
They make each other laugh.
They share common goals in their desires to travel the world and share new experiences.
Now, 5 years later, they are here getting married – Cupids arrows hitting the mark on that beach almost 5 years ago to the day- Cupid continued to hit them with a hammer after Joseph caught the garter AND the bouquet at their friends Emma and Max’s wedding –
even though Joe’s beautifully planned proposal in Paris was quashed by COVID – he still managed to make it special by involving the dogs into his wedding proposal where they’d first met on the beach by getting the dogs to dig a hole and placing the ring in the hole.
They laugh a lot – sometimes they argue – but there is one thing that is rock solid strong and that is their love for one another and desire to grow old together. They say at their age, they had no hesitation choosing to spend the best years- exploring all life has to offer.
