SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Lonely Guy tells Dori he still gets 1,000 calls a day

Jul 16, 2012, 1:34 PM | Updated: Jul 17, 2012, 4:54 am

...

car camping
All he ever wanted
was a little company. Now Jeff Ragsdale has been
overwhelmed with tens of thousands of calls and messages
after posting a few flyers around New York City. He
shared his amazing story with the Dori Monson Show. (Image
courtesy Jeff Ragsdale)

It’s hard to believe Jeff Ragsdale was ever lonely. After
all, he can get 1,000 phone calls a day. But it wasn’t
like that at all last fall, when he found himself alone
after a painful breakup.

“It was devastating. I lived with this woman for a year.
I’m co-dependant, I’d say. I found New York is difficult
to meet people, believe it or not,” Ragsdale said in an
interview Monday with the Dori Monson Show.

One day, inspiration struck. After seeing a bunch of
flyers for dog walkers and movers, he figured he’d post
his own. It simply said “If anyone wants to talk about
anything, call me.”

And call they did. Thousands of people from all over the
world called after a story about him went viral. It was
overwhelming.

“There was a guy who called me from Saudi Arabia and he
put it best. He said ‘You could be lonely in the desert
or in Times Square.’ He’s right, you know people have
called me and said ‘You know I’m married. I have three
kids and I’m the loneliest person in the world.’ You can
just go through cycles in life. And I think that’s why
this flyer resonated. Everyone’s been lonely,” said
Ragsdale

The people who called and sent messages shared their own
stories of love lost and found. He made friendships and
got
encouragement.

“I never thought anyone would really call outside of a
handful of people, and I thought half would be crazy. But
it’s been spellbinding because people have given me wisdom
that I would have never gotten anywhere else in my life,”
he said.

Ragsdale has parlayed the tens of thousands of messages
and conversations he’s gotten into a hugely popular book
“Jeff, One Lonely Guy,” and nearly nine months after it
all
started, he told Dori he can still get up to 1,000 calls a
day.

“I’m still in awe and don’t understand it,” he said. And
as for getting over the breakup that sparked it all, he
told Dori he’s had plenty of dates since, but so far has
yet to find the next “one”. But at least he’s got plenty
of people to keep him company.

Your thoughts from
Facebook
:

Angela Mills That’s awesome. What a way to connect.

Karen Cahill Miles Ugh loser…

Brandon Shropshire I tried that, I wrote a little
message with my name and number on a bunch of dollar
bills, didn’t work.

Seattle News Archives & Features

Sedro-Woolley medications missing...

KIRO 7 News Staff

Student medications found missing or diluted at Sedro-Woolley schools

Students’ medications are missing or diluted at multiple schools across the Sedro-Woolley School District, according to a district statement.

4 days ago

In this photo taken with a smartphone, Mike Herrington, the FBI special agent in charge, speaks to ...

Associated Press

Washington resident charged with conspiracy in Canada shool shooting is ordered detained

SEATTLE (AP) — A Washington state resident charged with conspiracy in one of the worst school shootings in Canada’s history has been ordered detained pending further hearings in the case. Melody Bryant, also known as James Cody Bryant, of Bellingham, Washington, was charged this month with conspiring to murder people in a foreign country. Investigators […]

11 days ago

The location of the Vertical Evacuation Tower will be near the Westport Marina. It will be the thir...

Tom Brock

Rising above the risk: Westport breaks ground on Washington’s newest tsunami refuge

The city of Westport broke ground Saturday on what will become Washington state's latest tsunami-safe location: a new vertical evacuation tower.

21 days ago

Andre Sayles (2) bite of seattle shooting suspect...

Tom Brock

Texts on hold: SPD delays Bite of Seattle shooting records

Interim Seattle Police Chief Andre Sayles says he needs more time before he can release the police department's internal communications the night of the deadly "Bite of Seattle" shootings.

1 month ago

Two alleged wire thieves caught in the act on Highway 12 near Aberdeen. Authorities estimate they d...

Tom Brock

Grounded: Grays Harbor deputies cut short highway wire heist

Deputies in Grays Harbor arrested two men Saturday for trying to steal hundreds of feet of wire along Highway 12.

1 month ago

A huge tree fell in the parking lot of Burien's Seahurst Park, crushing six vehicles....

Tom Brock

Fallen tree crushes parked cars at Burien’s Seahurst Park

A huge tree fell in the parking lot of Burien's Seahurst Park Monday and crushed six cars.

2 months ago

Lonely Guy tells Dori he still gets 1,000 calls a day