Astrid T

In 1997 I fullfilled one lifelong dream and emigrated from Germany to the US. I had always felt "out of place" in my own homecountry and felt a real strong bond with and a pull towards the US. After the events of 9/11 my resolve to become a US citizen only grew stronger and I put in my application as soon as I could (which is 5 years after immigration) at the end of 2001 and became a fully naturalized US citizen in 2002. I've made wonderful friends online mainly through different message boards and now through Xanga. My friend Cynde (cyndelee) got me into blogging and I will be eternally grateful to her for that. All my life I have kept diaries and journals. This just takes it into the 21st century. I'm addicted to it now and it's the BEST outlet to decompress! (plus it's a great opportunity to keep in touch with those friends I "left behind". XANGA will remain my main blog, however, a lot of other friends are here.... so I'll try to keep both updated. Love that "copy and paste" function! ***********************************************************
Here is something interesting I found and I thought this should be on my main page:
Article from the Daily Om....
Passing Along Secrets
GOSSIP
Passing along secrets, in today's media-rich society, feels natural. We are so bombarded by celebrity news, political rumors, and unsubstantiated insider information that gossip, on large and small scales, has become culturally acceptable. Personal information about others is often regarded as "too good not to share." Gossip, however, is far from harmless. Repeating something heard through the grapevine, telling a story full of unconfirmed information, or betraying a confidence can ruin reputations, destroy friendships, and cause deep emotional wounds. Many times, the gossiper has no hurtful intent and doesn't realize that their actions could have negative consequences.
Gossip is perpetuated for many reasons. Some people use gossip to turn attention away from their own inadequacies, while others use it to grow closer to their chosen group by excluding outsiders. And for many it is simply a form of cruelty that holds few ramifications. But gossip has never helped a victim, solved a problem, or lifted someone's spirit. More often, it is an assault on an individual's character and an invasion of privacy. Words become distorted as they travel from person to person. Luckily, we each have the power to thwart gossip by not believing the rumors we hear and by not passing discrediting information along. If you hear something negative about someone who is not present to defend themselves, ask yourself if what you're hearing is true or based on false information. Instead of accepting the truth of the statement, ask the subject directly. And, if you feel tempted to share the information, ask yourself what purpose sharing the information would serve.
Talking about someone or an occurrence does not always mean you are engaging in gossip. Sometimes, sharing positive information can help a person or build up their reputation. Most gossip is easy to identify because the information involved is hurtful or assumes a great deal. It is an unfortunate fact of life that people tend to spread information, but that information can stop with you. As with most things in life, it may take some practice to get out of the gossip habit. If you feel yourself slipping into gossip, stop, and try to say something nice instead. .contactTable {width: 328px !important; border:none;}.contactTable td {padding: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: center; background-color: transparent; border:none;}.contactTable span.whitetext12 {position: relative; left: 10px; border:none;}.contactTable td table {background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://joindumbledoresarmy.warnerbros.com/myspace/contac tTables/19.jpg); background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat; border:none;}.contactTable a {padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1px 5px; display: block; height: 30px; width: 136px; border:none;}.contactTable a img, .contactTable img {border: 0px; display: none; visibility: hidden; border:none;}