As December rolls to an end, it’s time to meditate on New Year’s resolutions.

One that lots of folks might take on to improve the quality of lakeside living would be to abstain from the rampant local sport of el chisme – passing on unfounded rumors and negative gossip. 

The popular Mexican phrase “pueblo chico, infierno grande” (small town, big hell) aptly explains the infernal atmosphere generated by wagging tongues. Chismes tend to spread like wildfire in our tight-knit community. Recent examples abound.

Last week a lot of townspeople got riled up when word went around that the grand old laurel tree that has become an emblem at the Six Corners intersection of west Ajijic was going to be cut down. It derived from a misunderstanding that arose when a government employee asked neighbors to avoid fixing up the little Virgin of Guadalupe shrine at the tree’s base. He explained that the cement planter was going to be torn down in an effort to save the tree from fatal disease. But someone interpreted that to mean that the 90-year-old tree itself was to be sacrificed. Ooops.

Several weeks earlier an off-hand remark by the Chapala mayor sparked a firestorm in the artist community. At a meeting with the leaders of the trade guilds who sponsor the town’s annual San Andrés Fiestas, Señor Degollado mentioned that the local Delegación office has outgrown its quarters, noting that he might consider relocating some services to a larger space.  Next thing you know social media were abuzz with the erroneous news of an imminent government takeover of the Centro Cultural. 

The foreign populace is just as prone to rumor-mongering. Retirees with a lot of free time on their hands spend a long hours idly chit-chatting at bars and coffee shops, on web boards and Facebook pages. An innocent comment or question can set some “gringos” off on a wave of wild speculation or an irate rampage with no basis in reality and solid facts.  

Case in point: There were people claiming that the absence of the U.S. flag by the expat contingency in Chapala’s Revolution Day parade was a deliberate slur related to the nation’s presidential election. It was, in fact, a completely unintentional omission. 

All sorts of false assumptions that have gone around the grapevine concerning the rash of tragic dog poisoning cases reported in Ajijic. At a public meeting on the problem a woman confidently stated that a small child had died after consuming venom left out for pets. “My maid told me she heard it from a neighbor,” she said. 

Others have pointed the finger at a Canadian man who was run out of town years ago after being identified as a serial dog killer. But with no evidence that he’s back in town and up to old tricks, it’s worthless hearsay that distracts from solid detective work needed to solve the dastardly crimes. 

Perpetrating unsubstantiated rumors is bad enough. Engaging in character assassination is just plain evil.  The next time you hear ugly gossip about friend, neighbor or prominent community leader think twice before passing it on someone else. You could be next!