Heartbreak has never been quite so ... lighthearted.
Naya Stephenson had been dating Shayok, a fellow student at Pomona College in California, for about nine months. Excited to see him for a date over summer break, Stephenson tweeted a photo of the two together.
But when the two broke up the next day, Stephenson took to social media and reacted in a way you may not expect ― she took it in stride.
The student told the Huffington Post in an e-mail that she shared the now-viral breakup as she recognized the irony of the situation.
“I tweeted it because I thought it was incredibly ironic and funny that I had posted a happy photo of us in love only to be broken up the next day,” she said. “I didn’t feel the need to be embarrassed or hide it; people break up all the time.”
Stephenson, who met her now-ex-boyfriend during her freshman year in college, told the Huffington Post of some of the stress the two faced.
The pair lived in different towns and Shayok was also headed to Japan for an internship.
Stephenson wanted to see him off before he left, so they planned the beach date. Shayok broke up with her afterwards.
Stephenson explained that the pair had been in love but their issues lay in their differing political beliefs.
“We had pretty serious debates on various topics, the most memorable of which has been racism and policing. I didn’t always trust his perspective as a non-black person of color on these issues, though I realize I should have tried to more,” Stephenson said.
“He felt that we wouldn’t ever get out of the pattern of me ‘doubting his politics,’” she added.
Though the pair are no longer dating, Stephenson said they still interact regularly, almost as if they “didn’t break up.”
As for the internet’s reaction to the tweet, well, Shayok was actually pretty amused by it.
“As soon as it blew up, I told him about it, and he’s read through the reactions, many of which were supportive,” she said. “He thinks it’s really funny, and he’s glad people are supporting me.”
Related
Before You Go
