Small town talk

NEW from inmaricopa.com to YOU: From time to time inmaricopa.com will be bringing you timely information that you will find both useful and informative. Articles by local experts will focus on health, computer technology, business/tax information and getting along in the world in which we live.

“Well I was born in a small town
And I live in a small town
Prob’ly die in a small town
Oh, those small communities”

We are all probably familiar with those words from John Cougar, but I have actually lived them out. Born in and raised in the small town of Buckeye, Ariz., and now living in the small town of Maricopa. There are many great things about living in a small community; the best part for me is that I know people everywhere I go. I am an extrovert, and to me there is nothing better than having personal relationships with the people at the grocery store, the bank, the schools, and the gas station. I live to talk to these people and to get to know them for more than just their job.

Living in a small town for most of my life, I am also very aware of the issues small towns have. The biggest is probably small town talk, or dare I say “gossip?” Wikipedia defines gossip this way: “Gossip is idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others. While gossip is one of the oldest and most common means of spreading and sharing facts and views, it also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and other variations into the information being transmitted.”

We are living in a time when information of all kinds, true or not, can be transmitted not only verbally, but can also be transmitted electronically to thousands of people anonymously by the stroke of a key. This kind of information can be an awesome tool. Between Google, you tube, and millions of online blogs, you can research anything on earth in a matter of seconds. It’s a powerful, powerful tool. Our words have power and can be used for good and for bad. The Scriptures say our words are like a bit in a horse’s mouth, just a small piece of metal, but we can use them to turn the entire animal. Our words are like the rudder of a ship, a very small piece of the ship, but it’s able to turn the entire ship.

In a small town, where many of you know many others, it doesn’t take much of a spark to ignite a fire storm of negative and many times wrong information. It’s also much easier to talk about others and the issues that they have than to talk about ourselves. But I would caution you when you get the urge to hear or pass on the latest gossip around town, feeding into the fire will only flame it on. You never know when the next juicy story might be about you. If you have a problem with something, or someone, go to them directly; take care of it in private. You will be a better person for it, and, hopefully, the other person will be as well.

If I haven’t had the chance to meet you, I would love to do so. Our faith community meets every Sunday morning at Pima Butte Elementary School. You can find us on the web at www.cohmaricopa.com.

Staff photo

Have a topic you’d like to see addressed by a guest expert? Please email it to inmaricopa.com for consideration.