Tongues are Wagging

Today I lost clients that were worth $16,500 to me. But I didn't blog about that. I took it in stride and decided to move forward. It's like the saying, "There's no use crying over spilt milk." Absolutely nothing I can do about it. When it happened, I was so mad I was about to cry. I took deep breaths, msn chatted with sis, called my old broker (the senile one) to commiserate because he loves to bitch. I felt better. No need to blog.

But THIS. THIS! I cannot let this go. I am shaking from being mad. (Or is that the caffeine?) At lunch with my sister, she mentions that our mutual acquaintances, J&Y had told her that "Ted" came out of the closet two months before he moved. His parents are taking it in stride but aren't exactly adjusted to the idea yet. It stands against everything they believe in. J&Y went on to berate how "Ted's" parents were acting and how it wasn't fair. Blah Blah Blah.

Then they went on to share with my sister about a teen that recently came forward to say he was molested. Everyone knows who the perpetrator was. Not too many people know who the victim is. The victim's mom told me a few months ago and I didn't even tell my husband. (I told him I knew but I didn't feel comfortable saying who it was. It was a young man with an older guy.) But, J&Y were happily yapping away about all the details of the case and would've told her the guy's name (kind of egging her on to ask) if she would've asked. She didn't.

Then they started in on another girl. We'll call her Mary. They started to speculate that Mary must be drinking a lot because they don't see her at church anymore. My sister started to wonder what they were saying about her when she wasn't around.

So why am I shaking mad? In the first two scenarios, the information isn't common knowledge. They learned it through friendships in the church. They set themselves up as being caring people who want to help and be involved in ministry and helping to change teens lives and then when they get a juicy tidbit, they are out there telling everyone. If they don't have enough tidbits to fill up a lunch conversation, they will start speculating.

Good thing they don't know about the pregnant teen or the girl who was molested! Soon everyone would know about them.

So what did I do? Well, I was a good tattle-tale. (I hate tattle-tales.) They are wanting to work with the teens in leadership. They actually want to be in charge of one and run it. So I called up the guy in charge of the group of teens I work with and told him that these people take personal, sensitive information and gossip about it over lunch after church on Sunday afternoons. I told him I was really angry, and he could tell them I told him. I said it was up to him what he wanted to do.

I know. Not very forgiving of me. But they are taking advantage of people's friendships.

RUDE!

How would you feel if your confessional was aired to others?