(Illustration by Sophie Blackall)
Missed Connections are quite possibly the most modern and interesting way to reconnect with kindred spirits who slipped away. There’s no more wondering if your paths will cross again: Thanks to Craigslist, you are in control of your own fate!
For those unfamiliar with the service, “Missed Connections” is a classifieds section for lost love. It’s a shot in the dark, a way to reconnect with the potential lover you locked eyes with over the cold cuts at Winn-Dixie or the girl that forgot to scribble her number down for you after that all nighter at Snake & Jakes. You are only a click, witty title, and a passionate paragraph away from your destiny! Even if you aren’t looking for that “cute brunette in Coliseum Square” it can be fun to scroll through and read the posts. Some are sad, some are scandalous, but all of them are a tiny window into a missed romantic opportunity.
Typical entries range from the simple, “We made eye contact a few times—you had jeans and a black shirt,” to the slightly more interesting:
“3 of us at Ninja last night, you were our waiter. Our first round was beer, sake and Chardonnay. We eye contacted and smiled more than once…good waiter or something more? I’d be happy to find out it’s more than a good waiter. Hit me back if you see this…”
Christy Lorio (photo by Leslie Almeida)
All of this free fodder hasn’t gone unused. Australian born, Brooklyn based illustrator Sophie Blackall has taken inspiration from the Internet back pages and created beautiful illustrations based on real-life listings. Her ideas culminated into a blog that turned into a book that just released this month. Blackall takes cues from subject lines that have a lyrical tone, a funny phrase, or that are just bizarre and turns them into whimsical, melancholic visuals. Her way of taking the fantasy and running with it is like like she’s creating a miniature fairy tale, and really isn’t that what reacting to romantic impulses is all about?
Want your own Missed Connection? Try hula hooping in the park, offering a stranger help with their luggage, or just use public transportation. Tattoos seem to garner a lot of attention, as well as flamboyantly dressed people. Some find charm in quirky habits, such as using a paper plane as a bookmark or being scared of birds. I have to say my favorite times to catch up online are after big events like Halloween, when tales of sea creatures flirting the night away with whiskey-bent sailors make for impossibly perfect visions.
Flipping through the book is like watching missed opportunities go by. You really get the sense that these people wish they were bolder, and they regret missing their chance at love due to their own cowardice. Even if it is a strictly platonic (yet another Craigslist category) friendship you seek, a little bit of bravado can be gained and a lesson learned with each illustration. Don’t let that person just waltz into the arms of someone else.
Whether you are the shirtless jogger on St. Charles Avenue or the blonde in the silver convertible don’t let fate slip by again. To see more of Blackall’s work purchase her book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Prints of her work are also available for sale via Etsy.
Christy Lorio, a native New Orleanian, writes on fashion at slowsouthernstyle.com and is also a freelance writer whose work has been featured online and in print magazines both locally and nationally.
