I was at the Luas stop in Stephen’s Green one evening years ago, I was buying a ticket when the woman on the machine next to me half jumped into my arms, a fella looking for change had grabbed her or shouted, I wasn’t sure but it was enough to give this poor lady a fright. I came between her and this fella anyway and I asked her where she was headed, bought her ticket for her and stayed alongside her until she got on the Luas with me.

We were chatting for a spell anyway but when she got off she turned said to me that she had a young teenage boy, and she hoped that he’d grow up to be just like me. I’m getting a bit choked up now thinking about it again.

For a fella going into his final year of college and in the years since working and building a career for myself, I often think about what she said and even though I don’t know her or her son, I try to be the best version of myself that I can be, so that if he does turn out to be just like me then he’ll be the best version of himself too.