Confession of a Gossiper

I talked about you today.

Maybe I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t just ignore the news.

I think what I said was true, but I’m not really sure.

I heard it from a friend of a friend.

Don’t be too upset.

People talk.

Always have, always will.

So, I talked—but it was only to verify the story with another close friend.

Well, I actually had to mention it to three or four people, but, again, just to get it straight.

A couple of them told me to call you up and tell you what I heard.

Are you kidding me?  No way was I going to get involved!

I can just imagine your reaction.  

You probably would have blown up and attacked me like I started it all.

It would have stirred up the old hornet’s nest.

Who needs that?

No way.  Believe me, I’m a veteran of these situations.

I prefer to remain anonymous, you know, just an interested bystander.

Besides, if it was true, you may have been too mad to talk about it—or too embarrassed. 

I would have been accused of meddling in your personal life.

Hey, if it isn’t true, it’ll just blow over.  No big deal.  You’ll get over it.

It’s not like I assaulted and battered you.

I would never hurt you in any way, shape or form.

I’m not that kind of person.

I heard that somebody put it out on Facebook!  (Actually, I saw it there myself.)

What kind of person would do that?  (Well, I recognized the name, but I’m not close.)

I really am sorry about that!

Totally uncalled for.  People nowadays!

Always making something worse than it really is.

They just love juicy gossip.

Rest assured that I had absolutely nothing to do with that.

(Just when you think you can trust someone, they up and disappoint you.)

Anyway, I’m confessing this so I can set your mind at ease. 

This was not vicious gossip, even though it turned out to be pretty damaging.

That certainly was not my intention.

Who am I?  What does it matter?

You really don’t need to know who I am.

That would only muddy the waters and make you think less of me.

Suffice it to say that I’ve learned a huge lesson over this.

Next time I hear something about someone, I will be very careful who I tell.

What?