What a beautiful springtime Saturday we had! The sun was shining, the birds were tweeting, and people seemed unsure whether to don scarves or skorts. But it was Free Comic Book Day, and if Craigslist Chicago is to be believed, romance was in the air.
For the cute girl at Challengers Comics, a Missed Connection:
When I first opened the door at challanger’s today it was packed because of free comic book day but you were standing right in front of me and we both just smiled at each other. I noticed you kept looking at me while I was waiting in line to get a sketch. You were so cute and I couldn’t help but look back.
Aww! And another, this one for a Comix Revolution employee (I think):
You helped me choose a Vertigo comic book after I turned down the half zombie girle tale. I thought you were cute and sweet, and I’m enjoying the comic you picked out for me. Maybe we could grab coffee or a drink sometime?
And finally, some darling young fellow has this prose for his dream bookworm lady:
You were in the fiction section at Myopic Books. I was with my friend, who was wearing a ridiculous hat, when I saw you. We walked past and you smiled. I carried that smile with me all day. I’d like to see it again some day.
Well! That last one put me in a really good mood.
A quote from Lore Sjöberg’s The Book of Ratings:
Missed Connections
These things always sound as if they were written by people who would be stalkers if they had more time off. A typical template would be “I saw you at a public place, where you were wearing nondescript clothing. You acknowledged my existence in a noncommittal manner. I regret not acting like a creepy dork then, would like a second chance.”
— Jake · May 8, 04:22 PM · #
Ugh, it’s so true, though. And then there’s the issue, too, of mistaking a salesperson’s enthusiasm as a connection (which can go both ways: “Is he being so nice because I’m helping him?”).
But the M.C. from Myopic isn’t creepy at all. Its author has no delusions—she was probably smiling at his friend’s dumb hat—but her smile warmed him right up! (I don’t know why I typed that last part. It isn’t cold out. Myopic isn’t especially drafty.)
— Jenn · May 9, 11:54 AM · #
You can tell by the shy, tentative wording of most missed connection ads that a lot of these people know they’re taking a shot in the dark. They generally seem less like genuine attempts to find someone with whom they’ll ever have a real relationship, and more like wistful, anonymous diary entries.
I love that Lore Sjöberg quote and I think it’s full of truth, but you’re right, too. The missed connections are the cutest part of the personal ads.
Even if most people don’t dash off to Craigslist when a stranger smiles, everyone occasionally wonders if a lingering glance might mean something more.
If I ever thought someone was trying to contact me through one of these things, I’d call.
— Jake · May 10, 10:45 AM · #