Powerful Stories
NMJ Memoirs | Will Hyndman
NMJ Memoirs is a series that advocates for love for all. A series which will be filled with stories that will teach you, guide you, move you, surprise you. A series of love stories. Of human stories.
Here, PR and Marketing Consultant Will Hyndman shares his experience with love and how falling in love with his partner Chris Phillips, proved to him that love would always have his back. Read, in Will’s own words, his experience with love.
The most striking thing about my experience of love, and I know how lucky I am to be able to say this, is that it's always had my back in some way or another.
Apart from the wonderful way it makes things feel natural and at ease (or equally as painful), I am fortunate that the few times love has been involved for me, the outcome has always been good. I grew up without labels in my household - when I was young my magazine subscriptions were Vogue, Autocar and Airliner World so it would have been anyone’s guess who the reader was. To me, love is between two people, no matter who they are. I guess the schoolyard was the first, and thankfully the only time that I ever experienced a 'label' and as the bullies would have it, such a label was used in a negative sense. It all sounds rather predictable I know, but leaning the other way certainly wasn't favourable when I was younger so I tried hard to hide who I really was throughout those early years.
But on reflection, love had my back. It was love and the way I felt for someone that gave me the confidence to honour how I really felt, albeit under somewhat dramatic, heart-wrenching circumstances. I was 25, I was who I was. I felt great about it and I have love to thank for that.
A few years on, I was 31, had never had a relationship for more than 4-5 months before and was about to relinquish my life in Auckland [New Zealand] to move home to Dunedin. I was hungover from a party the night before, had lost my wallet and was carrying $10 in cash. And that was the night I met Chris. Having followed each other on social media for a while, Chris DM'd me saying he was ‘visiting from Matamata’ and ‘would I like to meet for a drink?’ It was almost Christmas, so I thought, why not?
From that night, our schedules went into a state of disarray, but it felt weirdly normal for us. We each took turns driving the two hours back and forth between Auckland and Matamata. Every single day. A month on, instead of moving to Dunedin, I moved to Matamata and I moved in with him. It wasn't scary. It wasn't up for debate. It was just the right thing to do. And wonderfully, thanks to love, nobody questioned the choice or the haste.
The beautiful thing about falling in love with Chris - beyond it being unbelievably fantastic - was how it felt like love had my back again. Once again it taught me that love is natural - both in a magical sense and also in the sense that it felt as natural as my morning run. It was and is lovely.
If I am being completely honest, nothing sums up my love for Chris, the LOML [love of my life], better than the Bonnie Raitt song, Not The Only One.
I was in a daze, movin' in the wrong direction
Feelin' that I'd always be the lonely one
Then I saw your face, on the edge of my horizon
Whisperin' that I wasn't the only one
The lonely one.
One chance intervention, see what it can signify
The slightest misapprehension, baby
And we'd have passed each other by.
When I heard your sweet voice callin'
Saw your light come shinin' through
I couldn't stop my heart from turning
Churnin' out my love for you.
I was in a daze, movin' in the wrong direction
Feelin' that I'd always be the lonely one
Then I saw your face, on the edge of my horizon
Whisperin' that I wasn't the only one
That lonely one.
True love or perfection
It seems like it's overdue
Then just when you least expect it
It comes sneakin' up on you.
When I thought that I was dreaming
Felt your body close to mine
Now love takes on a different meaning
Together till the end of time.
I was in a daze, movin' in the wrong direction
Feelin' that I'd always be the lonely one
When I saw your face, through the web of my confusion
Whisperin' that I was not the only one.
The lonely one.
In celebration of supporting and advocating for love for all, we will be proudly donating to Minus18 who are changing the lives of the LGBTQIA+ youth in Australia. You can find out more about what they do here and follow them on Instagram here.
We partnered with our dear friend Trish Chong of @Tealily, to catpure Will and Chris virtually in the comfort of their own home as they wished to be seen.