Friday, March 4, 2011

The power of gossip

I remember those nights, when we visited relatives during summer vacations... Women of the house would complete their work for the day and huddle up for a siesta. But that is the time they would catch up on gossip.

As kids, we would be around, not officially part of the group, but yet there, listening in. No one shooed us away.

And, strangely, instead of making us bitchy - okay, it did make us bitchy too - it also taught us rights and wrongs in a way a parent can never teach a child.

Today, we don't like gossip - okay, okay, officially we are above gossip - but we have no means to communicate rights and wrongs to our children, to tell them how to handle different situations. Theory can never work, it was through case studies that these little lessons were passed on. Now we deprive our children of these classes. Are we right, or wrong?

This thought was triggered when a friend of mine called to complain about a close relative of hers. After a minor, common surgery, that relative was kicking up a fuss and her mother was unable to cope. My friend has children of her own, preparing for exams. She cannot step into the relative's mother's role.

But as they thrashed this issue at home, my friend's elder daughter - also a fusspot - learnt a valuable lesson. The pain of having fussy relatives.

Parents can give lectures, and then feel frustrated that their children are not listening to them. A gossip has the advantages of being exciting, indirect, and long-lasting because more than one viewpoint is shared.

Long live gossip.

9 comments:

  1. தோழி,
    தங்கள் ப்ளாக்கை தமிழில் எழுதினால் இன்னும் நன்றாக இருக்குமே.
    நன்றி.
    veram-thilay.blogspot.com
    வீரம் தில்லை.
    மதுரை.
    veram.thilay@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Innum tamizhil type saiyyum alavukku pazhakkam illai.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Meera

    I have always enjoyed gossip when I visit my aunt during festival times from childhood...we indeed learn a lot ...gossip is a subtle art of communication where we learnt to accept life realities. The good bad and ugly aspects

    Super Yummy Recipes

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  4. Absolutely, Satya...We learnt to be social beings..

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  5. Truly said Meera, gossip is a powerful way to vent up your feelings, both positive and negative. We live in US and now realize the therapeutic value of just talking and talking to your friends and family.

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  6. Wow, Meera, just started reading your blog. Interesting observations. - Aparna

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  7. Sonia, therapeutic is right...helps ventilate emotions.

    Thanks Aparna, hope they continue to be interesting.

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  8. First time on your blog! LOL - I quite agree with you, Meera - even now I hear some of the elders do this and it never ceases to amaze me as to how much info can go back and forth - it surely livens up life - VIVA gossip :)

    ReplyDelete

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