Someone else's story?

Have you ever told someone a really exciting thing that happened to you, only to find out they already knew that, even though you had not told them before?

You probably were sad, disappointed, maybe even mad at whoever told them your story. ''They had no right, no right at all! '' you thought. 

Well, you may have been closer to the truth than you thought.

Yesterday I was talking with my mom, and we were discussing a saying in 

'The Horse And His Boy' from The Chronicles Of Narnia. You've probably read it. In it  Aslan  says to Shasta, 'I tell no one any story but their own'.

While we were still talking about this, I realized this:

                

                                 Probably every day we tell someone else's story.

 By that I mean we tell another person something we really have no right to tell. 

It may be as simple as saying to one of your friends "Hey, did you know So-and-so's mom is  going to have a  new baby?" Even though it may not be very  important to you, that person may have wanted to tell your friend themselves. 

Telling someone else's story is not quite as bad as gossiping, but it is never considerate.

 Like my mom said, if telling other people's stories is all we have to talk about, we need to get a more exciting life!

I'm not saying this because I  think I have it all together, I'm saying this because I don't. I do this too, not thinking about it.

I realize that everyone does this, without even thinking one thing about it. 

I think we should try to make a conscious effort not to tell other people's stories, because after all, we should tell no one's stories but our own. Even if  other's stories are more  interesting.

How do you know when you should not tell other people things?

Try asking yourself these questions.

1) Is this something that is about some one else? If so, is this something they might want to tell themselves? If yes, don't tell it!

2) Is this something that might embarrass the person you are talking about? If yes, that is gossip to tell it, and gossip is a sin.

3) Is there something else that you could talk about? 

4) Would you want people to tell the same thing about you if it was true? If not, don't tell it!

5) If you are not sure if you should tell it, don't!

 Amazingly, our first instinct is often  right.

I hope that this will be helpful to you, maybe even save a friend from being upset at you.

 

There is yet another side of the issue though.

What do you do if you are the person being told someone else's story, and you know your friend is wrong  telling you about it?

There is really only one thing to do: politely change the subject. Later if the person who you heard about tells you  all about it,  don't  tell them you already knew that! That could be very hurtful to them.

I know it can be really hard to not tell someone else's stories, especially if it's really  interesting, but we should try not to, it's not ours to tell.