Don’t you remember high school?

Whether you graduated 2 or 20 years ago, it’s four years of our lives that can be pretty hard to forget.

For some, it’s a right of passage. For others, it’s just another roadblock preventing them from doing what they want.

And I think it’s safe to say everyone lived different lives in high school.

Some were popular. Some were JROTC kids. Others were in the student council. And there were those always striving to make straight A’s.

But I believe there was one thing that we all experienced no matter what group of friends or club we affiliated with:

Drama.

You know, gossip? The clichés like who broke up with whom or who won that morning’s slap-boxing fight in the boy’s bathroom?

A lot of times it was pretty harmless stuff. But it was never uncommon to hear something that would go on to ruin someone’s social status or make them want to skip town because of something they did last year.

And don’t get me wrong, I loved high school. But I don’t miss the drama.

And for me—and others I’m sure—I expected those days of gossiping and spreading rumors to be over once I left.

Boy was I wrong.

For those of you who don’t know, I work in the restaurant industry. Obviously it’s not the only thing I’m doing, but let’s just say it keeps the lights on.

And if you’ve never worked in the restaurant industry before, whether it was as a busser, server, bartender, or host, know that behind the scenes is just an older version of high school.

What makes it worse is that gossip spreads fast. Remember, it’s not like we’re walking around a 100,000-square-foot high school. This is a small restaurant we’re talking about.

And I’m not saying gossip only happens in restaurants either. I’m sure you still experience it yourself whether it’s in an office environment, the gym, the bar, or even your own family.

What I’m getting at is that gossip and drama are never-ending.

But just because it’s always around you, doesn’t mean you can’t escape it.

Even Marcus Aurelius, a Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher of nearly 2,000 years ago wrote about his strategies for avoiding it.

I can’t even imagine what kind of gossip would’ve been going on 2,000 years ago. . .

Hark! Didst thou witness Octavius partaketh of a second morsel from the loaf of Augustus?

Simpler times.

But back to Marcus. At one point in his book Meditations, he talks about how you should remind yourself that succumbing to gossip makes you weak because you’re only taking attention away from bettering yourself:

“There’s nothing more pathetic than a man who’s always running around and poking his nose in everywhere and using outside signs to infer what’s going on in his neighbors’ souls, without realizing that all he needs to do is focus on his inner guardian spirit and take proper care of it.” — Meditations 2.13

So next time you find yourself listening in on some gossip, take a moment and look at your own life. Is this the best way to be spending it? To be listening to something that doesn’t benefit you in any way?

And if it happens to be about you, block them out.

The only person who knows what you’ve done and what you’ve said is you.

And remember, whether they’re gossiping about you or someone else, know that makes them the weak one.

So get out of that high school mindset and only tune in on your own life.

Because if you spend all your time focusing on how other people are living their lives, you’ll only come to forget to live your own.

Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

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