Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About

I watched Doubt the other day (which was amazing by the way), and this particular quote intrigued me:

A woman was gossiping with her friend about a man whom they hardly knew – I know none of you have ever done this. That night, she had a dream: a great hand appeared over her and pointed down on her. She was immediately seized with an overwhelming sense of guilt. The next day she went to confession. She got the old parish priest, Father O’ Rourke, and she told him the whole thing. ‘Is gossiping a sin?’ she asked the old man. ‘Was that God All Mighty’s hand pointing down at me? Should I ask for your absolution? Father, have I done something wrong?’ ‘Yes,’ Father O’ Rourke answered her. ‘Yes, you ignorant, badly-brought-up female. You have blamed false witness on your neighbor. You played fast and loose with his reputation, and you should be heartily ashamed.’ So, the woman said she was sorry, and asked for forgiveness. ‘Not so fast,’ says O’ Rourke. ‘I want you to go home, take a pillow upon your roof, cut it open with a knife, and return here to me.’ So, the woman went home: took a pillow off her bed, a knife from the drawer, went up the fire escape to her roof, and stabbed the pillow. Then she went back to the old parish priest as instructed. ‘Did you cut the pillow with a knife?’ he says. ‘Yes, Father.’ ‘And what were the results?’ ‘Feathers,’ she said. ‘Feathers?’ he repeated. ‘Feathers; everywhere, Father.’ ‘Now I want you to go back and gather up every last feather that flew out onto the wind,’ ‘Well,’ she said, ‘it can’t be done. I don’t know where they went. The wind took them all over.’ ‘And that,’ said Father O’ Rourke, ‘is gossip!’

All of us I believe, have been subjects of ridicules, gossips, insults one way or another. Well, that’s life for you. Some of us may take the criticisms hard, while some just lose it and fights ensue. But I always believe that we should take this thing lightly, especially if it’s done behind our backs. Always turn a deaf ear to such gossips.

While I won’t deny to my ever being gossiping about other people, I always thought it’s an inappropriate thing to do. I’d rather keep my opinion or knowledge about somebody else’s dirty laundry to myself than sharing it, and  let it spread to the whole community. Though in the case of celebrities’ gossips, it’s quite different (at least the gossips are true and widely circulated in magazines, it’s not really talking behind their backs), gossiping about people you hardly know, and about something that is not true is quite a cowardly thing to do.

What if you are the subject of the gossip? Well, like I said, turn a deaf ear and let them keep talking about it. You are your own person, and words can never hurt you. Sure they hurt more than sticks or stones, but you will always be able to hold your head up high. People’s opinions are worthless, especially of those who believe and participate in such lies and aggravation. So, maintain your countenance, ignore their unfounded disapprobation and just give them something to talk about  all the way to their hell-holes.