Missed Connections: Civil War Edition

Lost yearbooks, childhood insults, and economics 101.

Written by Rebecca Wallace | Published on December 14, 2010

Craigslist is baffling: There are cellphones for sale, misfiled under the electronic section. The jobs page is riddled with headshot scams. And the Missed Connections posts often ignore their basic purpose and become requests for drinking game rules, dating advice, and economics discussion. I guess when you meet the pajama-clothed Civil War enthusiast you’ve always dreamed of, you get a little addled.

1986 yearbook? (Near Dupont)
Date: 2010-07-05, 3:26AM EDT
Hey, I found a 1986 yearbook tonight. Boston College High School. The name of the book is the Renaissance. I don’t know why you’d be walking around with this or how you could lose it in a bush, but you were and you did. In any case, I found it. I’ll likely turn it into a drinking game. So message me if (1) it’s yours and you can prove it through an e-mail or (2) you want to play a drinking game with an old yearbook. You must e-mail me with some good rules.

A yearbook tossed into a bush late at night? Sounds like it was already being used in a drinking game.

You Were Explaining Sunk Costs–m4w–32 (Old Ebbitt DC)
Date: 2010-07-05, 11:05AM EDT
I couldn’t help but overhear you trying to explain the concept of sunk costs to your friend who just wasn’t getting it on the 4th. It was all I could do not to jump into the conversation and I would have if I wasn’t there with someone else. I thought you were cute and it was awesome that you were referencing your knowledge of economics. You were wearing a red/pink dress (color seemed to be in between). Feel free to contact me for further econ discussions.

You know what else is a sunk cost? The time and effort it took to post this Craigslist ad instead of mentioning the elasticity of supply and demand at the time.

Met a guy named Ferris. . . .anybody know him?–m4m (dc)
Date: 2010-07-05, 1:02PM EDT
Met a guy named Ferris last week. REally into him and he seemed to be as well. Anyone know anything about him before I go for this? Someone has to know that name!!!!! 🙂

If I remember correctly from the movie, he’s devilishly charming and has a knack for getting into all sorts of scrapes!

Hannah–m4w–28 (columbia heights)
Date: 2010-07-05, 5:18PM EDT
You: the girl in the flannel onesie with pink flowers on it
Me: the guy turned on by civil war generals
lets hang out.

Ah, but to see the long-concealed photos of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee in their flannel onesies.

Olde Brogue–m4w–46 (Great Falls)
Date: 2010-07-05, 9:23PM EDT
I was the dummy who stood up from the bar to leave, our eyes met, you flashed a smile that took my breath away, and I stuck out my tongue like some idiot–you know, I am really quite a great available guy, so maybe sticking out my tongue at you was the right thing to do

Childhood insults are playfully disarming in adult courtship. As your relationship progresses, don’t forget to poke her and pull her ponytails.

Sgt. D. Maskell–w4m (HQMC I&L)
Date: 2010-07-07, 8:03PM EDT
You were polite, efficient, and humorous all at the same time. I loved your glasses and the half-eaten Subway cookie. Would have loved to talk to you more but the situation wasn’t appropriate, as it were–tea, coffee?

I don’t think leaving half-eaten cookies strewn about is very polite at all.