Message #44316

[spitfire78]

I was the subject of gossip a few years ago - it was very hurtful at the time and, truthfully, still hurts to think about it.  I had worked at the company for about 15 years and never had a problem with anyone.  Then a new co-worker came along, and there were problems galore.  As we were working on these problems, I never said a word to anyone except my supervisor about the other person.  On the other hand, she was telling all sorts of stories about me - what a horrible person I was to work with, how mean I was to her, etc.  What hurt the most was that people with whom I had worked for a very long time were quite ready and willing to jump on the bandwagon and believe everything she said.  My supervisor knew she was spreading these lies about me, and her response was "well, that's the way she deals with things."  Several years later (after Ms. Gossip was long gone), a newbie was questioned by multiple people on how she was getting along with me!  Fortunately, she wasn't a newbie to the company, just to our section, and she was wise enough to ignore the questions and make up her own mind.  It was quite hurtful to think that a reputation that I had built up for over 15 years could be damaged by one person who was a newcomer.  I always disliked gossip, but after this experience I absolutely detest it and refuse to be drawn into it at all.  However, as I have learned, staying above it does not mean that you will not be a target yourself.