The week ahead marks Mental Illness Awareness Week and Breastfeeding Week so I'm declaring a new issue we can celebrate with its own special week. As of today, Sept. 19 to 26 is declared Rampant Rumour Week.
If you heard the rumours that followed two recent high profile resignations in our community you have to agree the name fits for the week past.
Rampant Rumour Week ended on Monday, but I'm still on the edge of my seat waiting to learn who is going to be hired as the School District 48 manager of international education.
The interviews for that position are reportedly taking place on Tuesday (Oct. 4).
If the grapevine didn't reach you then you should get involved in Mental Awareness Week or Breastfeeding Week, or both, and leave rumour creation and perpetuation to people with a lot more time to dream up hurtful tales.
A rumour centred on the school district's manager of international education position was so insistent that The Chief felt the need to dig deep into it and explore it to its core. We concluded the rumour had little credibility because the people or person at the core of the rumour only spoke to The Chief through third parties.
If the coward(s) who started the rumour have it right, the outcome of the school district's next hire is predetermined. If the creator(s) of the rumour have it completely wrong, that person or those people have caused a significant amount of undo stress for local school officials.
Based on what I'm hearing about everyone else in town, I can only imagine the rumours circulating about me.
Yes, it is true, I suffered a bout of depression in 2001 through my final months at Mountain FM. I wasn't the only one at that time in that building who carried a heavy mental burden. I don't mind confirming that rumour because it is true. I worked through it and recovered. When it became obvious that I needed help, I was fortunate that my friends, family and doctor helped me get the exercise, relaxation and medication I needed to heal.
You can also believe the rumour that says I support breastfeeding in public. If a baby is hungry and mom is comfortable with the idea of feeding in public then baby should be able to have lunch without mom being made to feel like a lawbreaker.With those rumours about me put to rest I want to remind Rampant Rumour Week participants that starting malicious and false rumours can unfairly hurt the careers, reputations, friends and family of real people.
So, start a file now and work on a juicy rumour you can unleash on us between Sept. 18 to 25, 2006 when Rampant Rumour Week rolls around again.
