In the month of love, it’s not all sunshine and roses for all of us. Rejection is normal and just to prove it to you, here are people’s stories.
So, today is Valentine’s Day… Woohoo, not. A day where our Instagram feeds are filled with couples being cute, endless amounts of flowers, cute getaways and of course, all things pink, red and heart-shaped themed. But that's not our thing, so, let's talk about what people hate: rejection.
It’s not a pleasant feeling being rejected, but life’s not all sunshine and roses. Let’s be honest, it’s filled with a lot of pricks (pun intended) and knockdowns. So, if you’ve been rejected and Valentine’s Day makes you feel like the puke emoji, then take this as your reminder that you’re not alone and you’re a bad-ass who *sassy click* doesn’t need that negativity.
So, let's hear first-hand from people who have been rejected...
*names have been changed
The Flaker
Alexa*, 19 years-old
“I’d been missing my ex-boyfriend from my hometown and it’d been over a year since we broke up. I was tired of missing him all the time. I wanted to see how he was doing, or if he felt the same way I was feeling, but I was so scared.
I ended up messaging him. We caught up on our lives and we texted for about a week, that’s when he mentioned the idea of coming up to see me… I got so excited, I was on cloud nine. But, after a month of him saying he’d come up one weekend, the last weekend of term, he said he couldn’t anymore.
The funny thing is, before my last weekend at uni I had gone back to my hometown for about a week. Never once had he messaged me to hang out there, despite the fact he knew I was there. Then, I had one of those lightbulb moments and realized he’d been using me as a way to just get out of my hometown for a while. Long story short he was getting tired of being at home all the time. I guess it was an indirect rejection… I just know it hurt like hell because I’d got my hopes up.”
The Drifter
Rosie*, 23 years-old
“He was my first boyfriend. He went off to uni and I came out of what was going to be a career in dance. I was feeling low, with him away at uni and my dance gone, I felt lost. I suppose I was a bit needy towards him as I missed him and felt so lost.
When he came back from uni he was different and off. I questioned him and he told me he didn’t love me anymore. I broke down and I cried every day for nearly two weeks. I laugh at it now, I was only 20, young dumb and naive. However, at the time, I felt like someone had reached into my chest and ripped out my heart.
I didn’t do anything majorly dramatic. I went out a lot, drank etc. The main thing I did, was that I booked a solo travelling tour in America and Canada for 2 weeks for the following summer. It was the best thing I ever did! Taught me so much and I really grew as a person.”
The Ghoster
Ollie, 20 years-old
“This must have been 6 months ago or so now. So, the girl entered my DM’s by replying to one of my stories. We got chatting and decided to go for a coffee. All went well, we went to a bar, then another. We were texting daily, meeting every weekend, even some weekdays in the evening. It got to the point that we were going to meet the parents… So, everything was going well!
And then suddenly, no reply. I texted her again the next day… no reply. So, I left it.”
Rejection happens to the best of us. Cry a little if you have to, eat that take away for two, down a whole bottle of wine, do whatever makes you feel better. Then, once the tears have dried up, the food baby is real and the hangover is killer, look in that mirror and remind yourself who the f*ck you are.
