How many times have you heard somebody lament all the drama? "I'm not looking for a lot of drama," someone says. Or another complains, "Too much drama with her."

Three MySpace friends all wrote blogs today about drama and gossip and people interfering. So it must still be a problem. We spend a lot of time preaching against the evils of drama. We've written two recent blogs about it: "Gossip Folks" and "The Ex Files."

Maybe y'all aren't listening.

So we're going to take a more academic approach. Kids, get out your books, turn to to Chapter 5: "Interpersonal Relationships."

There are some truths to bear in mind when dealing with other people, which is the nature and definition of interpersonal relationships. Please memorize these, and exercise them well. There will be a quiz.

TRUTH 1: YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY PERSON WHO EXISTS IN THIS WORLD. So have a little consideration for other people's feelings. Ask yourself, "If I do or say this, how will affect Jane/John?" And then act accordingly. You don't just act in a vacuum. Anything you do or say will have repercussions, reverberations, lasting effects and reactions. Think about it before you do it or say it.

TRUTH 2: PEOPLE GOSSIP. They shouldn't but they do. You shouldn't. But you do. We all do. The tip is, don't do it. But remember that anything you say is likely to be repeated. Think about who may eventually hear it, and plan accordingly.

TRUTH 3: MOTIVATION IS KEY, a.k.a. IS IT ANY BUSINESS OF YOURS? A lot of people genuinely believe that the gossipy things they say about other people is helping the situation. To wit:

"Well, I just wanted you to know she cheated on her last girlfriend, and so I'd keep an eye on her."

"He was in rehab last year, and so if he's gotten distant he may be on drugs again."

"I care about you, and I don't want to see you get hurt, so you should know: your girlfriend tried to hit on my roommate."

Yeah... no. Suppositions and prejudices don't help anyone. Forewarned is forearmed, perhaps, but people need to be allowed to make their own decisions about the folks they associate with. You don't like anyone else telling you how to behave, do you?

TRUTH 4: UNLESS YOU ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY IT, IT'S NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS. And by the way, that whole "Well she's my friend, and if it affects her it affects me" thing is total bullshit. So save it.

We're just saying... for God's sake... mind your own business. Stop all the tale-toting and act like adults instead of fifth-graders. Is your own life so empty that you have to sit around and stir up someone else's? If you want drama, watch TNT.

Peace,

Tom