"Gossip Is Poison"

Nothing is ever lost by courtesy. It is the cheapest of pleasures,
costs nothing, and conveys much.It pleases him who gives and receivesand thus...is twice blessed.
-ErastusWiman

When I moved to Santa Monica from San Francisco, I moved into a large apartment building with many occupants and quite flavorful I might add . I befriended one of the tenants who felt obliged to tell me all the ins and outs and ups and downs of many, if not most ,of the people living in this “Hollywood” residence.
You see, my first inclination upon meeting and getting to know other’s is to see the good in them. I often have a naive and childlike innocence when meeting new acquaintances. My opinion of other’s is often positive unless proven otherwise.
Well this new friend in my building continued to often talk about all the dirt about my neighbor’s, and would character assassinate one neighbor after another. I would just innocently listen to this gossip and absorb it mindlessly, meanwhile enjoying the new friendship and the mindless chatter. Until one day I had a realization that I cannot look at most of my neighbor’s through innocent and nonjudgemental eyes. That hearsay had tainted and literally put a curse on the perception that I had on these innocent bystander’s.
With maturity, I look back at those years and wish that I had not indulged in such trivial chatter. Today, gossip feels gross. Gossip makes me queasy. It is negativity and poison that I choose to not pour into my precious, delicate, optimistic, and sacred mind. I choose to indulge in a more refined conversation of depth and weight, rather than idle chatter of hearsay, unproven facts, and trivial matters.
In writing this blog, I commit to you reader’s that I will avoid self condemnation, criticism of other’s, negativity of any kind, but also gossip.One of the many reason’s to refrain from gossip is if I am not minding my own business, my business is bound to fail. Also, I will speak up when I hear other’s character assassinate, without the other person being present to defend themselves! I will also attempt to be more discerning about what kind of company I keep. Gossip is cruel, vulgar, and poisonous for both the giver and the receiver; as well as down right unsophisticated!