J-Junction Grooms Tell All
In an exclusive interview, two best friends, Danny and Michael describe to Odile Faludi how their lives have changed for the better since finding “the one” through j-junction.
Danny
Danny who has been married for nine months, told Odile Faludi how he won Gail’s heart over with his romantic marriage proposal. Danny says, “I took Gail for a surprise trip to the Hunter Valley for the weekend. I had her believe, I had nothing planned, but the morning after we arrived, I had a horse and carriage ride booked. We went for a private wine tasting, and then the horse and carriage dropped us in the middle of a vineyard area, and there was a table with a couple of chairs, some champagne, and chocolates. I proposed to Gail there. It was magical!”
Let’s start from the beginning. They say, there is a lid for every pot, but neither Danny, IT Business Analyst, aged 37 or Michael, Account Manager, aged 34, had yet found it until they joined j-junction.
These guys are now singing j-junction’s praises big time. Their friendship is apparent with Danny saying, “Michael is like my brother but from a different mother.” Therefore, you would think that they would have shared the fact that they were both members of j-junction. Funny, they never discussed it. That really sums up the stigma surrounding using a dating service. These guys are now comfortable to share their story because they are eager to help others.
Danny who describes himself as an honest, devoted and reflective kind of guy heard about j-junction through word of mouth. Danny confesses, “The idea of using a dating service at first really didn’t sit that well with me. I definitely didn’t like the idea of being set up. I had heard that j-junction took the time to really get to know their candidates and ‘listened’ so I thought I might as well give it a go.” There’s an expression that goes, “Even Michael Jordan has a coach.” The greatest basketball player in the world needed support to reach and maintain his potential. Danny was a wise man and took advantage of his coach and won!
The obvious question was…What happened when Danny first met Gail? With a huge smile, he says, “I was very happy to go on that second date.” This is a big deal as Danny candidly said that he had been on two other dates through j-junction and a second date never came to fruition and he was honest enough to say, “I wasn’t holding all the cards. In one particular case, the girl chose not to go out again with me. It’s a bit of a blow but you just have to get over it and keep moving forward. My relationship with Gail took its natural course and we had been dating for nearly two years. Being laid-back by nature I probably needed a bit of a push to make things happen. That’s where having my own ‘matchmaker’ worked well. Her honest and
Michael
sound advice made me realise I didn’t want to lose Gail through not being pro-active and thinking about the future.” Danny said, “I have a bit of a thing about honesty and your word is your bond, and I suppose in some instances, I have taken this to the nth degree but it is a very important aspect of a relationship for me. I knew with Gail, I wanted to be honest with her, show my integrity, and do the right thing by her. I had never before felt so strongly about this with anyone else. This was a big shift for me and I suppose this was the flick of a light switch moment which made me realise that she was the one.” Gail and Danny await the birth of their first child in August.
On the other hand, Michael who describes himself as a loyal, outgoing and an honest guy said, “I was worried; I thought I may not find the one, but after meeting Deb in person, I felt an instant attraction. From my experience, I found that forming an opinion from the j-junction profile and photo clouds your judgment on what the person is really like. I prefer to meet people in person and make my judgment then. From the moment I first saw Deb’s smile and felt her warm embrace my impression was moulded. I was definitely interested. It took a few dates to gain some momentum and for the sparks to really fly. I wanted to take the time to really get to know her as I believe friendship is the key to forming a forever relationship.”
Michael has only been married for less than four months but he just loves it. You can’t help but feel Michael’s sincerity. He is a man who speaks with a soft voice from his heart. He isn’t afraid to show who he really is. He said, “Deb encompasses everything I was searching for in a woman.” Michael concurs with Danny saying, “Relationships are very much about trust, companionship and feeling a physical attraction.” For Michael, just being himself is what is important to him, being loved exactly the way he is.
Final question was: “Why was j-junction special?” Both Danny and Michael said the same thing, “The service introduced us to ‘new blood.’ We thought we knew everyone in the community but that wasn’t the case. Going to a Jewish day school like Moriah you feel like you know every Jewish girl but that is so wrong.”
The guys final advice for singles, “Hang in there, don’t become bitter, keep trying, it’s a numbers game!” Both these men have a new focus and are developing in a new, exciting way. They insist it’s all about personal growth. They both couldn’t wipe their grins off their faces for the entire one hour interview. For them, life is good but love is grand!
