Sweet Secrets

Gossip is like sugar: it can be really bad for us but we just love the stuff. Why is that?

I think the popularity of gossip comes from two basic elements: the first is summed up in the old saying that "knowledge is power." Everyone wants to be in the know, right? Everyone wants to be the first one to tell the news. The second element is the sense of belonging. If you have a secret to tell about someone else, or if someone shares a secret with you, there's a bond between the two of you. Kind of an instant "us" situation, as in shared secret knowledge between "us." No wonder the people sharing the gossip can get such a warm fuzzy from it! Unfortunately, the person being gossiped about is frequently in a position to get hurt, which is what makes gossip a twisty, slippery, and very often nasty thing to handle.

Is all gossip bad? Maybe not. It's pretty harmless to share the news that Jenny's hot cousin is coming to stay at her house for the summer again this year, or that Wyatt was the first to get a job at the new clothing store at the mall. Once we cross into the territory of spreading tales about someone's really personal stuff, though, that's when the change comes in. Like with sugar, that's when the line is crossed from nibbling a couple of cookies to chowing down an entire cake with ice cream on the side and a candy bar chaser.

So maybe think of gossip as a very sweet dessert. It's okay to have a little serving of it, but if you have too much, well, remember that the initial rush feels super, but the subsequent crash can feel really bad for a long time after.

Ophelia Julien, author of Hunting Spirits coming May 2009 from Quake

Gossipy Minds Want To Know

Gus and Cynthia "Dishing The Dirt"

Cynthia and I don’t gossip, never did. We just get mad at each other and say stupid things. But, plenty of our friends do. And, this is waaaay back in the 60s! We'll gossip about things like: “Cindy’s wearing Tom’s letterman jacket!” Or, “I saw Mike walk Linda to Geometry class.”

Gossip is more difficult in mine and Cynthia's time. You actually have to physically whisper in someone’s ear! Ewwww! Oh, sure we always have the phone, but it's impossible to say anything private with my nosy brother eavesdropping. And, believe it or not, I can't take the phone into my room because the receiver is connected by a cord! I know. Hard to imagine.

You guys have it so easy today with email and texting.

“OMG. Did u c C n T :-<>” (for those of you over age 30, the symbol :-<> shows surprise).

I may just be an old-fashioned, 1960s twelve-year-old (soon to be thirteen!), but the statement above seems to lose something in the translation. On the other hand, texting might keep flu bugs from spreading. Waaahh...choooo!

Still, Cynthia and I are gonna have to study this texting thing. I just figured out that lol doesn’t mean, “lots of love!” Now, there’s a gossip topic! Think of all the people I woulda thought were sending me “love” before I realized they were laughing with (at) me! LOL!

Getting off the gossip track, so I’ll bring this puppy back around (somehow).

Do you like gossip, as long as it doesn’t involve you? Or, is gossip always mean? What’s your favorite way to gossip? Ear-to-ear ? Text-to-text?

Gossipy minds want to know.

BFF, Gus

Mary Cunningham Books

Quake

Cynthia's Attic Blog