The CLE missed connection

Every so often, the internet does the one thing it was actually built to do: bring people together. What follows is a modern-day fairy tale that unfolded right before our very eyes.

When I first spotted the Reddit post — titled "Missed Connection: CLE Airport" — I assumed it was the usual sad tale of someone missing a big life moment thanks to a typical travel delay. Boy, was I wrong. In the best way possible.

Here's how she opened:

"If you were the dark haired maintenance guy at the Cleveland airport who hurt himself while working on the Frontier flight at 6am this morning (7/8):"

So far, just a concerned stranger looking out for a guy having a rough start to his day. Something we’ve all thought about, but rarely act on.

Then she continued:

"Hi, I hope you're okay and this is a long shot, but I didn't see a ring (lol) and I wanted to give you my number while we were standing near each other, but you looked really busy. You were very handsome and I'm an aviation enthusiast, so if you see this and are open to it, I'd love to connect with you."

And now we understand the missed connection. She missed her shot. So she took to the internet to find her handsome handy hunk.

This is where the world wide web earned its keep. The post went Cleveland-viral. Cleveland 19 picked up the story. Then Cleveland Hopkins Airport itself got in on the fun and shared it from their own account. Commenters who knew someone who knew someone at the airport turned into a squadron of hopeful matchmakers. The mechanics room even printed the message out so their mystery man could finally be found.

And then… the update we'd all been refreshing for.

He's been found. They're in contact. She confirmed he's single, and he slid into her DMs. Capping off what is an aviation meet-cute.

But it's her closing line that brings the whole thing home:

"Thank you to everyone who shared or spread the word. In a time of lots of bad news, I'm glad we could unite behind a common goal of trying to find a missed connection."

That's what it's all about, Buzz Nation. That's exactly why Jodie and I have the best job in the world. We get to bring you the best of our little corner of Ohio — and every so often, a reminder that we've still got each other, and we've still got community.

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