I was walking in my neighborhood with one of my neighbors and she said, “I don’t want to be judgmental, but I’ve seen a couple of teenagers in trucks driving through the neighborhood and…” Another neighbor drove by when I was planting flowers and stopped to say, “Do you want me to call about (blah blah) in the neighborhood…?” Some people might say that this is rumor mill or negative gossip, but I say some judgment can protect our communities.
May 2010, a Nissan Pathfinder costing about $1300 was left on the street in New York Times Square. A street vendor thought it looked a little suspicious so he reported it. And thank goodness because it was filled with deadly explosives. The terrorist was caught before he left the country due to “observation.”
My nine year old got off the bus and complained about two little boys calling her names. This went on for a couple of weeks until we called the school to complain about bullying. (Did you know that verbal/mental abuse is 7 times more likely to create dysfunctional acting out of the victim than sexual abuse?) That’s a healthy tattle.
My teen boy says that there is a saying in school that “Snitches get Stitches.” But when a friend called me to pick up her son (she was across town) because another boy was threatening him with a knife, loose lips keeps ships afloat.
Sure, there’s a balance on what’s malicious gossip and community awareness. But folks, it’s time to get a few cuts and bruises to protect our families, communities and the world.
I have a lot to say about a lot of things and my opinions especially fly in my books “Adventures of a Mainstream Metaphysical Mom” and “SOUL-utions.” You can also hear my thoughts at www.MichellePayton.com on radio and video interviews, and get a free subscription to monthly recordings at www.MichellesMindfulMinute.com .
