Junior High Rumor Mill

Middle School, USA   Any day, 2009  

Between classes and walking in the hallway, while waiting for class to start, at the lunch table or riding the bus, teenagers have a lot of time to get and share snippets of news.  I have a child who is more than smart enough not to believe everything she hears, but I am reminded of the power of ones peer group and the influences they can have over you...almost daily.  I am also reminded of that old game my friends and I used to play as tweens called Telephone.  

Last month while on spring break, my daughter announced that the shoes known as Crocs are edible.  She was sure it was true.  She heard it at school.  All the kids were saying it was so.  Surely my child could see through the silliness of this thought.  But she really couldn't.  I understand what she was thinking.  Her generation is our future.  They are maturing everyday.  Soon they will be adult(-ish)s.  Before we know it they will be grown up enough to be the leaders in our communities and in our government.  Right now they go to school every day...to a place where they are learning.  I am not going to school everyday to learn.  Therefore, what do I know?  They are exposed to things in the know more than I.  She would stand by her friends and their silly thoughts regardless of whether the statement made sense.  We do not own Crocs in our household so I couldn't just grab one and say, "take a bite" or "here's your dinner.  Bon appetit!"  

I couldn't let this ridiculousness go either.  I didn't have my laptop with me, but luck was on my side.  While walking through the Orlando airport I spotted a store that only sold Crocs!  Of course I had to go in and ask one of the clerks, "I have a silly question." "Yes?" she said.  "Are Crocs edible?"

Her response made me smile, "I knew you were going to ask that!  NO!!!"  She smiled too.  My child must not be alone in this world of silly spreading rumors.  Check out the Crocs website.  Under their FAQs they even answer this rumor.  

***

Tonight while cuddling on the couch, my daughter asked if I had heard about the latest  epidemic going around.  "Swine flu?" I asked her.  "Yes," she replied, "it's closer to our town than you think" she told me in her matter-of-a-fact tone.  "Did you hear how it's spread?" she continued..."by your hair.  If you touch your hair you need to wash your hands.  Everyone was talking about it today,  even Mr.**(add any teacher's name here)** said so!"  

Yikes, here we go again!  

Swine Flu info at the CDC - click here.