Halloween is over, sadly enough, but one thing haunts me on into the month of November: gossip. Which, in my opinion, is a very silly sounding word for such a terrible action.

However, Urban Dictionary’s definition is an almost spot-on explanation of what gossip is to this generation: “Exaggeration or fabrication of a story, regarding somebody other than the tale bearer, in the absence of this person who is being discussed -- for the malicious purpose of demeaning, slandering or tarnishing this person's reputation. “

Just to write and claim that I’m apart of that is making me physically cringe.

For a little background information, I haven’t always been this way. My family is about as simple as they come, and I in no way mean that in any negative respect. The farther I am away from them, the more I can appreciate their nature. Of course, like everyone else in life, they have their faults. But one thing I’ll thankfully brag about is their lack of concern with other people’s affairs.

One of my favorite examples of this fact is a conversation I once had with my brother, who is a year younger than me. Even though we were a junior and sophomore at the same very small high school, often times my friends didn’t know I had a brother. He was so shy versus my very outspoken self. It drove me crazy. As we were leaving the school parking lot one afternoon, I called him out on his “insane” behavior:

“Ben, no one ever knows who you are! I don’t understand why you’re so awkward. Seriously, just what exactly is your deal?”

With which he calmly looked my direction and easily explained, “Rachel, sometimes I just don’t have anything to say.”

I think about that conversation on a regular basis while that was no special day in his life. To him, it was simple; you didn’t just talk to hear the sound of your own voice. When he had something to say, sure, he’d let us know. But until then, he just wasn’t worried about it.

Fast forward to present day. I am a sophomore at Western Kentucky University and I live with five other girls. Gossip is no longer something outside of my life. It has consumed me, and it often times feels uncontrollable. It has become my way of bonding with my roommates. We send screenshots of “stupid people” we see on Instagram and add some bitter remark, and then everyone else joins in on the bashing. I get home from class, and sit on the couch to get the scoop. Who has done what today? It’s like a disease. Why have I become so interested in what everyone around me is doing?

But today I thought about that conversation with my brother. How much simpler would my life be if I only talked when I actually had something to say?

So this is my public announcement of the goal I’ve set for myself, and I hope that you’ll join me because this will be much easier to accomplish if I’m not alone. From this day forward, I will do better, and because of that, I will be better. I will only talk about other people with kind words in my mouth.

Eleanor Roosevelt was one wise lady who said, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”

I just want to be great.