Dear Editor,

Hypocrite – noun. One who dissembles his real nature; a pretender to virtue or piety; a deceiver.

A town that thrives on rumors is not very hard to come by in today’s society. I have witnessed a surplus of this in my very hometown. I know rumors happen everywhere, but for many individuals they forget to mind their own business. Don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to know what’s happening in your town, but there is a point where the heads need to be turned to something else, as so others can live their lives in peace, yet still be watched over. People need to remember that the world is not their playground and the recess monitor needs to stop those who are causing the problems, not those however that are sitting on the merry-go-round drawing a picture.

I recently met up with an old friend of mine, and the rumors began to fly with speed and demented accuracy.  I am a two-time victim of date rape, and also a one-time victim of sexual assault and harassment all during high school, so I can understand if people would want to watch what I am doing, yet there comes a time for everyone, where the need to turn the other cheek.

I have spent many years trying to heal from the marks that the events in my life have left on me, but it always helps me to remember that I have the Lord and love of my family and good friends to be thankful for.

When a female has a friend who is a male, people begin to assume that the friendship is becoming an affair. This is not true in many cases, including my own. I have always been what you would call a “Tom Boy,” and having male friends is not something that is new to me.

Remember that others do have feelings, and are not always intimate together. Just think about the facts before you spread the fiction. And above everything else, remember what happens when you assume.

Deanna Lynn Varese

Centerville