STORY TELLING

Have you ever had someone offer to share your services or something you possess with another without asking you first?  I am pretty certain I am guilty of doing this without even thinking .  I am a fixer, so if you come to me with a problem, I am going to try and help you solve the problem.  Need a truck, I do not have one, but my neighbor does.  I am certain he appreciates me making the offer without consulting him first.  It is never intended to be intrusive or crossing boundaries, but if you think it over I am indeed all up in your business.

I am reading another World War II book about helping people escape the Nazi nightmare.  After finishing the Churchill biography, I was due an easy book.  As I read this morning, I came across a line which inspired this blog.


"That would be giving away that which was not hers to share."


I think I have written about this before, but it is so important that it bears a repeat.  Our stories are just that--our stories.  I had a long discussion last night with a dear friend about the importance of our stories and how important it can be to share them with the right audience.  We all know friends or family who have stories they do not share.  They keep them in that secret place we talked about yesterday.  Though that makes me sad, knowing there are many that might be helped if we are willing to share our stories, I respect the story owner's right to privacy.  The stories of others are not ours to share unless we are given express permission to share them.  Sharing another's story could be construed as gossip.  Looking up the definition of gossip you find ~

"casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true."



Perhaps you think you know all of the story to be the truth--or what you think  is true.  We have all played the whisper game and know how quickly things can be altered as they are passed from person to person.  The rule of thumb should always be, if it is not your story, do not repeat it.  PERIOD.  It is one thing to say, John Doe is sick.  It is another to give a blow by blow story of the details of the illness, the diagnosis, and the prognosis.  There is too much leeway in what the next person hears and how the story can get changed to be the one sharing the story.  We all like to be in the know.  Being in the know does not give us the right to spread the word.  That is left to the one who owns the story.

I AM GUILTY!  Trying to do better, but it pays to remind myself.  Repeat only my own story and leave the story of others to those who have lived it to tell.  

"Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;

keep watch over the door of my lips."

Psalm 141:3

2 comments

  1. We do need to take precautions when it comes to sharing stories about others. Gossip is something I dumped from my list ages ago and don't regret it for a moment.
    Bless, Lulu!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I often say gossip is a means to try and make ourselves higher in status, when it all does it make us appear smaller.
      Blessings, My Friend!

      Delete

Your comments keep my writing and often cause me to think. A written form of a hug or a pat on the back and an occasional slap into reality---I treasure them all!