Journal 31

We all know that gossip is wrong.  Yet when something interesting happens, our conscience seems to go out the window.  Gossip is not only wrong morally, it also can have damaging effects on a person.  If the person being talked about hears the conversation, whether by being in a close proximity at the time or by the message spreading, then that person may develop some emotional issues.  This might not be the case if the person has a really strong personality that doesn't let what others say or do affect him or her.  However, that saying that "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is often not the case.  I knew a girl back at my old school who had been gossiped about.  She was such a nice person who would smile and ask how your day has been going.  She didn't fit in well with the other girls in her grade, though.  They were pretty much opposites and would prey on her.  The more modest terms that they called her were words like "fat", "ugly", and "stupid".  None of these terms were true about her, but when she heard what the others were saying about her, she became depressed.  I got to talk to her a little here and there and I reassured her that she is smart, pretty, and has an amazing and caring personality, which is what really makes a person beautiful.  She said that she believed what I was saying, but I got the feeling that she wasn't really sure of who she was anymore and deep down she doubted everything that I said.  I tried to spend more time with her after that to make sure that she was doing alright.  As time wore I never saw her eat anything except once in a while she may have brought in a granola bar.  She always wore a jacket.  It was in the high 80's one day in May and she was still wearing that jacket.  I knew why, and I felt like there was nothing that I could do to help.  She eventually recovered.  I invited her to go to church with me and she talked to the pastor for a while and he helped her get through the hatred for herself.  I guess that my point here is that gossip has far-reaching consequences that may go unnoticed to who do it.  Even if the person never finds out that people were talking about him or her, that person's reputation can still be damaged and he or she is not even giving a chance to defend himself or herself.  It takes a special kind of character to not gossip at times, and many times people do it without even realizing, but making the choice to watch what you say is always the best choice.