The date

*With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out.* **- William Shakespere - Romeo and Juliet -** *** *** We've all been on dates and while not all of them have been as intense and tragic as Romeo and Juliet's story I guess we all have stories about good and bad ones, those that followed on to another and beyond, and those that couldn't end soon enough. I've had a few, more than a few really, and after a conversation last week I've been thinking about those dates, where, when and what happened on them and afterwards. I've enjoyed thinking about it and have brought some amazing dates to mind - super-simple and others a little more formal or complex - but all mostly enjoyable. In fact, I can't actually think of a single date that held no value and I guess that's probably because I tend not to put a lot of pressure on them; I keep the expectation low and simply let it roll out as it will. That doesn't mean I don't apply effort though, or seek to create special moments, *I do,* it's just that I know perfection doesn't exist and don't seek it in anything I do, including on dates.  One I recall fondly is a date at an art gallery in Paris, *Musée de l'Orangerie*, where Claude Monet's, *The Water Lilies,* are displayed. It's situated in the *Tuileries Garden* close to *Place de la Concorde* and we arrived, coffee in hand, after a walk through the gardens to spend time wandering the halls of the gallery discussing the artworks and life in general; I think that's one of the beautiful things about art, it is often a snapshot of life itself and promotes conversation. Afterwards we had lunch, baguettes and more coffee, whilst sitting in a secluded part of the *Tuileries Garden*. It was a beautiful date, very simple, and enjoyable. With dates in mind, I figured it might be a good opportunity to share a couple tracks about dates and dating which you'll find below. They're all a little different but I like them a lot because of their differences; life is about diversity, adventure and the unknown, after all. ***Sam Hunt*** - ***Walker Hayes*** - ***Dean Brody*** ✳️ Here's a link to YouTube where you'll find all three in a single YouTube ***playlist.*** *** The process of dating, in this modern world, tends to begin on a mobile phone or so I'm told; that's not my way though. I'm a face-to-face guy and, of course, I prefer simple dates which is supported by a partner who has been my date for a little while now. I wonder what your experiences have been like though. Have you been on a lot of dates, were they good or bad, did they lead to more or end abruptly? What has been your best and worst, what is your ideal date, and what leads you to ask someone out for a date; what do you see that makes you want to experience and learn more about a person? Feel free to tell me in the comments, I'll respond, as always.