Reflecting on missed connections

ABOUT THIS PROMPT: I gave the following prompt to my Spring 2014 students before they watched the stop motion film Bottle, which is about the emotional experience of a missed connection.

Have you ever experienced meeting someone who seemed particularly special, like the two of you had the potential for a really deep connection (as friends or as romantic partners), but then the connection never actually worked out? (If this hasn’t happened to you, use your imagination.)

(1) How did you become aware of this potential?

(2) What did you find most appealing? Was it that the person:

* was similar to you in some surprising ways?
* understood you in a way that most others don’t?
* shared your interests and activities?
* made you feel less alone in the world?
* or something else?

(3) Why didn’t it work out?