She wasn’t sure why her attendance was needed, but there was sure to be refreshments, so she joined a group of other girls in one of the dorm rooms for some kind of meeting.
She knew few of the girls fairly well, but others only casually. The RA stood up and thanked the girls for coming, and it soon became clear why it was pertinent that she be there; she was a topic on the agenda.
Something she had shared with one girl, that another girl said, concerning a mutual friend, had made its way back to the ears of the girl that had made the initial remark.
There was what looked like a somewhat smug denial by the initiator to all there that she had never said that. When the accused knew there was no way to prove that what had been said really had been said, she wished that she could just disappear from sight, but instead she just looked at them and said she was sorry for repeating what she thought the girl had said.
A stern lesson about the perils of gossip!
ReplyDeleteReminds me of an exercise done in grade school. The class was divided into groups, each group formed a circle. The "lead" person whispered a story to the second person. That person told the next and so on. By the time the last person in the circle told the story out loud, it wasn't even close to the original story.
Thanks to the Wakefield Doctrine, I recognize that when I speak to someone, the words I hear myself say (and the meaning I've assigned to those words), are not necessarily the same words the other person is hearing.
Bottom line is we all should choose our words very carefully :D
Good Six!
Yes, it is a very stern lesson.
Delete"the words I hear myself say (and the meaning I've assigned to those words), are not necessarily the same words the other person is hearing" So true!
At times, it is difficult to remember what did one say in the first place, and what context.
ReplyDeleteAnd, especially true, if very much time has elapsed.
DeleteAnd that is the way it begins. What a great take on the prompt and a perfect telling. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Violet.
DeleteThe first stumble down the hill into tolerating abuse, unfortunately. Only the purveyors of gossip are, through long practice, in a position to manipulate the power and the poison of the forked tongue.
ReplyDeleteAnd the stumble can be quite a painful one.
DeleteThat is clearly a cautionary tale. Great take!
ReplyDeletePS, thanks for the link!
If only all would just speak kind words and recognize what is the kind thing to say and do.
DeleteI realized late that community news and gossip are one and the same. Same thing goes for 'prayer requests"...
ReplyDeletegood post.
Agreed. Sometimes even what one might think would not be a detrimental remark, another would prefer it not be shared.
DeleteOh, dear. If it's not nice news, don't pass it on!
ReplyDeleteSo true.
DeleteTruly a lesson about a knotted, slippery tongue. Well stated.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Glad you stopped by.
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