Rumors

Nothing infuriates me more than being accused of something that I haven't done...and then being in trouble for it. Ugh!!! I have discovered that even in America you can be tried and convicted on a thought. Not in a court of law, mind you, but in a rumor. The subtltey of it is what is the most cutting to it's power. There is always a grain of truth, especially to get people to buy it, but the teller has so much ability to add what she wishes.

Words can damage so many things, people or situations. Look at many politicians that have lost races or careers based upon a rumor. The story always gets blown out of porportion because it's always more juicy to add your own twist, so then the truth is so mired in bullshit that you can't possilby see what it was that really started.

I watch my daughter navigate the halls of her middle school and see the viciousness of the girls she must contend with. I know this brings out that particular trait within her, just to survive. I see it everyday when she comes home, wearing it like a cloak to protect her while she is "learning". I've read Queenbees and Wannabees and have seen it broken down into it's elements, so on a analytical level, it makes sense.

But what attounds me, we women never grow out it. Every situation I have encountered, there is still that dynamic that surrounds women. Why? There are those who don't play the "game", but they probably never did or maybe they just grew up. I said "we" because I was very good at it in school...so hateful, I look back and wish I could have been different. I know that I can't, I just take it and learn and hope to be a better person and more importantly pass this onto my daughters. So, I'll take this, learn and grow...what else can I do?