Gossip and rumors: don't believe the hype

who sometimes does not forget is the main target of what is being said.

at work thought of me, including the other employee involved in the rumor with me.

Gossip

Yeah,I said it!

Gossip!

Everyone at one point or another has been involved in some sort of rumor. For some reason we crave information about other people, even if it's not true. I will admit, I love hearing juicy gossip every now and then, but after awhile it gets old, and everyone forgets about it. The one person

Just recently, at my job off campus, rumors were started about myself and another employee. At first, I just shrugged it off and moved on. Unfortunately, the harder I tried to forget about it, the more I became upset. The first thing I wanted to do was go into work, jump on the loud speaker and tell everyone, including the customers, the truth. I didn't realize how much these outrageous rumors had affected me. I'm the type of person who has a very "I don't care" attitude, but this time I acted just the opposite. I started worrying about what other people.

My friends kept telling me to just let it be, and act like what was being said didn't bother me. Well, I'm sorry. It's not that easy! When you're the topic of a rumor being spread to a large amount of people, and you try to give them the facts, they sometimes don't believe you. This makes you feel frustrated and defenseless, at least this was how I felt. I honestly don't get it! Why would anyone care to know your business? Is it really that important to you? And where's the satisfaction you get out of talking about it? I know I am just as guilty as every other person when it comes to believing gossip, but I never really thought or cared about the person being targeted. Now, I understand.

Gossip can play with your mind, and sometimes damages relationships. In extreme circumstances, it can possibly ruin your entire life. In my situation, that's definitely not the case, but I feel that the bonds I made with some of the other employees have been completely severed. I don't like to admit it, but I can also tell that my friendship with the person who was also a target of this ridiculous rumor has slowly started to fade.

It's been about two weeks since the gossiping started, and I am still trying to forget about what hap- pened If you ask me a week from now, I probably will sti11be just as bitter about the whole situation. I know it may sound like I'm blowing this way out of proportion, but I'm not. I see these people all the time, and I'm reminded of how someone unknown to me cared so little about my feelings and the feelings of the other person involved.

I realize now how much gossip hurts people, and will definitely think twice the next time I hear something being spread around campus, or work.

It's really none of my business anyway!