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Kleenex Message in a Bottle Nearly Trashed

That’s right: I found a Kleenex message in a bottle. And I almost threw it away…

In addition to messages, I find lots of bizarre stuff in washed-up bottles. Toothbrushes? Check. A zillion cigarette butts? Check. Human hair? Check. So when I find something that looks like a napkin in a bottle, it’s not all that shocking. I usually open it up just to make sure it’s not a message in a bottle. When it turns out to be trash, I cart it off and recycle it.

But there was something about this one bottle I found a while back. As you can see, the paper inside looks a little unusual. It is not the normal rolled-up scroll of printer paper or stationery. In fact, it just looks like a napkin or paper towel or Kleenex tissue.

And yet… It’s not exactly wadded up, is it?

Kleenex Message in a Bottle on Beach

Clint Buffington with Kleenex Message in a Bottle on the Beach

I brought the bottle home but didn’t get around to opening it until just recently. I had other messages to deal with, and this one was probably just trash, I figured.

Well, I was wrong.

When I pulled the message out, it was clearly a Kleenex, but incredibly, there was writing visible on it!

Kleenex Message in a Bottle Removed from Bottle

Can you see it? Look closer:

Kleenex Message in a Bottle Closeup of Writing

Kleenex Message in a Bottle Too Faded to Read in Full

It’s not just you — that writing is incredibly hard to see. I can only make out the beginning of the word “Hello” and then, way below that, “Cleveland, Ohio” along with a date. But I am withholding the date here…

The only way I can hope to solve this message in a bottle is for me to hide the date and hope that someone in Cleveland sees this post, recognizes their message / handwriting, and can confirm the date on the Kleenex without me telling them. I don’t know about you, but this seems extremely unlikely. And yet–here we are. I can’t give up the hope of connecting with this person. Who could it be?!

And that’s where you come in, readers! Have a soul? Wanna help make a little magic happen? Share this post and spread the word!

***If you liked this story, click here to find me on Facebook and like my page for more message in a bottle stories! You never know when YOU could be the one to solve a message in a bottle mystery! Click here to learn more about messages in bottles, and you can always contact me with questions, ideas, or stories.

Kleenex Message in a Bottle Closeup of Writing 2 Kleenex Message in a Bottle Closeup of Writing 3