Everyone's famous in a small town..

Growing up in a town of only 850 people give or take, one has to find ways to entertain him or herself. Here, the options are alcoholism, drugs, drama and the main one: gossip.

Now, I know gossip exists everywhere, but I swear this tourist town takes it to a new level. In fact, some rumors are so outrageous, that the accused usually laughs at it instead of taking it personally.

If you're wondering whether I have been the punch line of one of these rumors, the answer is yes. Just recently, in fact.

Today, my co-worker came out to the front office and stated she heard gossip floating around town about me. When I asked her what on Earth anyone could possibly falsely accuse me of, she replied that some townspeople believe I'm pregnant. As much as I would love to start having babies, I know I'm not ready. Don't get me wrong, I'm ready to be a mother. I mean not ready in the fact that I'm not part of a stable relationship yet.

Therefore, to set the record straight, I am not pregnant.

I called my parents not long after hearing this idiocy to either clear my name if they had heard the rumor or warn them in case they do in the near future. Luckily, they hadn't heard anything.

To make this gossip even more hilarious, a couple days ago Andrea went to the bars and one of Dad's co-workers asked her not once, not twice, but three times if she was pregnant. When I told her, she said that maybe he was so drunk, he thought she was me hence him asking the same question several times.

You know, this gossip frustrates me but at the same time, I feel sorry for the person who started this rumor and for the people who continue to spread it. In my own opinion, the kind of people that spread this craziness must have the most boring lives that they feel the need to try to ruin someone else's life.

It's interesting to see what people come up with, but how far does one take it. My words of advice to these people: Get a life. Live it.

~Erin Lester