Words by: Joseph Lew
Collage by: Ella Pang

Humans are social creatures, sure, we all know that; we’ve heard it all before. But our generation is desperate for connection.

We drift in and out of each other’s lives, flitting from friendship to friendship, relationship to relationship, in the search for that perfect fit. We look for connection on street corners and right swipes, our fingers dancing over touch screens and keyboards as we send auto-generated compliments and heart-eye emojis in the hopes of getting one back.

But what about the connections we miss in the process? The ones that got away? Let’s raise a glass to them: the might-haves and the could-have-beens, the summer flings and fleeting moments, the ones that ended as briefly as they began…

1—  We made eye contact at the grocery store. You smiled at me. I awkwardly looked away and walked into a different aisle. When I came back, you were gone.

2—  You kept sending me photos of your dick. We messed around in the back of a theatre. I started to catch feelings. You said you weren’t into men.

3—  We talked on Tinder, then on Snapchat. We shared a sloppy kiss at Yah Yah’s. Then several more. The night ended. I still check if you like my Instagram photos.

4—  You were in one of my classes. You were wearing a green sweater. I thought you looked cute. We laughed at how bad we were at math. You weren’t there the next week.

5—  You said you were straight, but that you liked me. I didn’t know how to respond. You asked me for a threesome. I blocked you.

6—  I met you in Italy. We fooled around on the floor of a hostel. I told my friends I liked you. We came back to Australia. You ghosted me.

7—  You slid into my inbox. We liked the same colour. And movies. We exchanged I love you’s. I love you. I love you. I love you. One day you didn’t say it back. I cried for a week.