I returned to my 'old stomping' grounds this last weekend and had a great time. I saw friends and visited with people I hadn't seen in years. I exchanged news and information about children, jobs, and vacations. Bygone memories of times long past but surprisingly still fresh were recounted and enjoyed again.
Yes, indeed, the evening was almost too perfect, and as all too perfect evenings are there was that inevitable little mar that just gave one that bit of reality reminder that not only can one not 'go back' but that in some instances one does not want to.
I had taken along a friend for company, and it was out of her mouth that this life truth was illustrated. We hadn't been in the hall which was full of my hometown crowd more than five minutes when my friend turned to me and said, "There are two women sitting over at that table to the left and they are talking about us." I had actually been aware of these two 'ladies' with heads down and eyes glancing at us as we walked in but I had chosen to ignore it and looked away, but the spoken recognition of the fact by my friend, a complete stranger to the people and hall, impressed upon me just how blatant, open, and lengthy this discussion of myself and my friend must have been. It was almost as if these two people thought they were in a little one way bubble visually. Perhaps they thought they could see us but we couldn't see them so they could stare and talk without shame or fear of retribution.
So what does a lady such as myself do in an instance such as this?
She does this:
As she knows the name of one of those of no couth or candor, she writes the following on her Social Network Status the next morning:
You know what is really interesting is when one walks into a hall full of people and you get a sense that 'someone' is talking about you. You look over the crowd and can immediately spy out who it is...almost like having whispers behind covered hands becoming coloured. LOL!
THEN she invites the Lady of the Tongue (who she has previous has had same lady Social Networkly blocked) to suddenly become her friend on said Social Network, hoping that the Lady of the Tongue would accept and see the first status ever of the One That Has Been Gossiped About being the above.
AND ...she did
AND.... she did read
...she must have.
The Lady of the Tongue will be Re--blocked after the mandatory 48 hours has passed.
Yes, indeed, the evening was almost too perfect, and as all too perfect evenings are there was that inevitable little mar that just gave one that bit of reality reminder that not only can one not 'go back' but that in some instances one does not want to.
I had taken along a friend for company, and it was out of her mouth that this life truth was illustrated. We hadn't been in the hall which was full of my hometown crowd more than five minutes when my friend turned to me and said, "There are two women sitting over at that table to the left and they are talking about us." I had actually been aware of these two 'ladies' with heads down and eyes glancing at us as we walked in but I had chosen to ignore it and looked away, but the spoken recognition of the fact by my friend, a complete stranger to the people and hall, impressed upon me just how blatant, open, and lengthy this discussion of myself and my friend must have been. It was almost as if these two people thought they were in a little one way bubble visually. Perhaps they thought they could see us but we couldn't see them so they could stare and talk without shame or fear of retribution.
So what does a lady such as myself do in an instance such as this?
She does this:
As she knows the name of one of those of no couth or candor, she writes the following on her Social Network Status the next morning:
You know what is really interesting is when one walks into a hall full of people and you get a sense that 'someone' is talking about you. You look over the crowd and can immediately spy out who it is...almost like having whispers behind covered hands becoming coloured. LOL!
THEN she invites the Lady of the Tongue (who she has previous has had same lady Social Networkly blocked) to suddenly become her friend on said Social Network, hoping that the Lady of the Tongue would accept and see the first status ever of the One That Has Been Gossiped About being the above.
AND ...she did
AND.... she did read
...she must have.
The Lady of the Tongue will be Re--blocked after the mandatory 48 hours has passed.
This is a far far better method I think than walking over to the table and saying, "Hello. Is there anything you would like clarified?" Less risk of confrontation.
The next time I see them I will just smile and wave.
The next time I see them I will just smile and wave.
I am not pretending that I never gossip. But what I am saying is that because I don't pretend not to, I know that one has to be discreet about it. I
know that people can actually see me talking about them so I take precautions..I carry either a paper bag to cover my head or I simply write and exchange notes with my co-gossiper--chewing and swallowing the evidence afterwards.
No comments:
Post a Comment