It's always weird finding out that an ex has moved on to someone new. Now, imagine scrolling through social media and seeing that your ex-boyfriend's new someone special is Lady Gaga.
That's exactly what happened to New York Times' Lindsay Crouse, who shared an opinion piece on Thursday (Feb. 27) detailing the moment that she saw photos of her ex, whom she dated for seven years, cozying up to the pop superstar over Super Bowl weekend.
"I don’t follow my ex on social media," she explained. "We were 'friends' on Facebook. Then we were 'in a relationship' on Facebook. After we broke up, I noticed I was 'blocked' on Facebook. And then we moved on. I hadn’t googled him in forever (I promise). But this month I knew everything about his new relationship status, within hours of when it was disclosed."
Crouse did the typical stalking of the ex's new girlfriend (we've all been there), and found herself in an unusual state of mind while scrolling through the award-winner's photos. "How do you compare yourself with Lady Gaga?" she wrote. "Lady Gaga is amazing. Comparing yourself with her is incredibly motivational, and I recommend you try it, regardless of how you relate to who’s dating her. At least, that’s what I did."
The writer went on to live her best life through Gaga's eyes, buying an expensive dress for an event she wouldn't typically purchase, getting her makeup done, taking strides in her work, and even going the extra mile to order a large coffee instead of a small.
"The point is, Lady Gaga is living the ambitious life that we keep saying women should embrace," she concluded. "A quote I remember reading from her, probably on Instagram, says, 'Don’t you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can’t be exactly who you are.'"
"It’s so easy as you get older to find the best in who you’ve become, to make the most of it — and maybe even to get a little complacent about it," she continued. "But if Lady Gaga can do what she wants, and even expand on what she wants, why not me, too? Why not let being 'exactly who I am' mean trying to be the best I could be? Lady Gaga continues to challenge herself, to try new things, to thrive"
Read the full piece here.