There’s probably been several post about the end of the CL personals but honestly I just wanted to share my experience with this section over the years and why it meant so much to me, now this may seem more like a rant but there is a question in here but I just wanted to show why this site meant so much. I can say, I found out first hand by going to the personal section and clicking and being shown the “this page does not exist” and thinking it was a maintenance issue and then going to the home page and seeing the heart breaking message of the passing of the Senate bill and the decision to remove the personals.

I felt like Richies brother at the end of La Bamba, not believing what I just read, I went to the CL subreddit and this was the hot issue, I felt like going out in the rain and screaming “CRAIGSLIST!!!” As “Sleep Walk” plays in the background. I felt a weird emptiness inside of me, like I lost a friend and in a way I did. I thought the death of the founder of Toys R Us was bad, a man who help build a business I would spend money on as a nerd collector but this was more personal.

But why do I ramble on about CL? Why do I care so much? Because CL helped me in so many ways over the years. Let’s rewind the clock, I was 23 years old and had just lost my virginity, I was curious to try more and want more. My first experience was at age 22 however, although it was just a joke ad to start and didn’t mean anything by it. But back to 23, I posted my first ever ad, looking for sexting fun. I was surprised to get legit responses and at that age I was bold, and would ask some partners if they wanted to meet up. I remember the first night my friend drove me to meet a sexting partner, going to an empty parking lot, the fear he felt when she drove off with me just a few feet ahead, the hand job I got and breast sucking I did, I felt ALIVE!!! And I wanted more.

I eventually fucked her, and that was my first successful or at least I remember it being my first successful sex meet up at that time. As time progressed, I posted more and more, and boy did those responses come in, of course some were bullshit, some were bots and hookers, some were trolls and catfishes, but you know what, in a way all those negatives made the positives seem that much brighter. I moved into mfm with my best buddy and honestly, CL was beyond generous to us in that section, we met so many women off there.

A lot of people say CL was the bottom of the barrel at times but you know what? I don’t think it was, for me I met so many badass women over the years there, women you would never expect to use CL or need CL, they were business owners, executives, teachers, the girl next door, the woman wanting to explore her sexuality, they were normal people. I consider myself lucky and grateful for meeting these women, thanks to them I grew sexually and gained confidence in myself.

But it wasn’t just the sex, no!!! I also used the platonic section and relationship section, and can say I met some equally badass women off there, some that are still friends to this day. When I felt down and needed someone to talk to, I went to CL, the ability to express myself anonymously on a ad, to just put your thoughts and feelings out there for someone to read, was something I loved about CL.

I felt at home on CL, and although I love reddit and have had many positive experiences here and hopefully more to come, my heart in a way still stood with CL, I felt their section to meeting people was simpler not like R4R or the other subs, but just cause you didn’t have to worry about upvoting or downvoting. And although it’s been less than a day, I feel a certain sadness for all the potential lost connections, the future relationships, the possible fucking that won’t happen. You know what hit me hard? When I read

“To the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through craigslist, we wish you every happiness!”

This is me! I was one of those lucky million that met someone special at one point, not just sexually but so much more. Some young kid out there will never experience this, to be shy and not know how to approach sex, and to find a refuge were they can express their needs and desires and to know there is a market for them. And not just sexually, but also maybe looking for love, maybe looking for a friend.

I know I rambled on but CL meant so much to me, am 30 now and although I still used it, and although I probably don’t need it anymore, I can’t help but feel a certain sadness. This is some bullshit!!!

So I’ll leave you with this, because I have to get to a lunch date with a former lover turned friend who I met on CL. What was your experience like on CL? I mostly want to hear the positives and see that I wasn’t the only one who had a positive experience off there, but if negative is all you got, then go ahead and shoot.

Thank you for reading the post, if you even read the whole thing, I know it was a long ass one, but I really felt affected by this one. Hopefully Reddit won’t go down the same path and hopefully one day the CL personals will make a return but for now I’ll mourn and go pour a 40oz on the side walk for the fallen homie. RIP CL personals, you were the hero we needed but didn’t deserve.