No, Instagram, I Don’t Want To Follow My Ex

It’s weird you keep trying to push it

Picture it. It’s an ordinary day. You’re bored, so you check Instagram to see some cool pictures.

You notice you have notifications, so you check them. People like your pictures! Random people started following you. You’re seeing the occasional comment.

Then you notice something. Instagram points out you might know a random user name. So you take a look at the picture with it.

You facepalm. It’s your fricken ex. You roll your eyes and close the app. That’s enough social media for one day.

Guess What Happened To Me?

Now that I promote my articles using the Story feature, I find myself on social media more often. I don’t do much besides watch funny videos and promote my writing, but sometimes, people follow me. I don’t know why.

When I saw a strange username with a familiar picture, I rolled my eyes. Of course, it’d happen to me. Here’s a picture of my ex with a stupid username.

My first thought when I saw his name was, “Is his name short for nincompoop?” After that, I closed the notifications and busied myself before college memories made me curious about what he’s doing, and if he ever moved on from his ex.

Why Not Block Him?

I know what you’re thinking. Why don’t you block the guy so you don’t have to think about him again?

Because I’d have to click on his profile to do it. I have no interest in clicking on his profile and seeing his pictures.

This is the guy who nearly ruined China for me when I studied abroad. This is the guy who was so hung up on his ex, he didn’t care he hurt my feelings when he talked about how he’d be with her if we didn’t exist. This is the guy who was so against being alone, he’d rather cheat than try a long-distance relationship. (I wasn’t out of the country yet before he started cheating.)

This is the guy who said he loved me one day then claimed he didn’t remember saying it the next day. This is the guy that put me through an emotional roller coaster by justifying his double standards and yelling at me for little things I say. It got to a point I stopped talking when around him because I never knew when he’d get mad and yell.

My point is clicking on that profile would bring back those memories. I have better things to do than dwell on the past. It’s better to roll my eyes and move on than risk flashbacks.

Instead, I’ll Appreciate The Lessons

On the rare occasion, he shows up on Instagram, I’ll remember the lessons he taught me:

• Never trust a man who’s still in contact with his ex. The only exception is if they have kids together.
• If he’s constantly talking about other girls, you’re filler.
• Learn the difference between a reason and an excuse.

Despite the crap he put me through, I still wish him well. It’s been many years, so maybe he’s changed since then. Good for him if he has.

Have I mastered these lessons? It’s taken time, but I’m better at it than I was five years ago. The fact I’m writing an article instead of going through his Instagram is a sign of progress.

I wish him well, but good riddance.

For an all-access pass to my work, please click on the link below! When you join Medium, I get a small portion of the membership fee.

Are you already a member? Subscribe! You’ll receive my articles via email when I publish them.

You can also leave a tip if you’d like! Your support helps small writers like me create more stories for you to enjoy! Thank you!