ANDRE BEGIN

Even though I’ve never been a fan of gossip and rumours, I will admit to a fascination and a curiosity over how it can turn into a game of broken telephone, changing ever so slightly as it travels from one person to the next.

Strangely, over the course of my career, I was the subject of one rumour (that I know of) that resulted in a few awkward moments for me and for my colleagues. Thankfully, it was a pretty mild one, but like a scene from a horror movie, just when I thought it had run its course, it kept coming back to life.

I was reminded of the rumour at a retirement party when someone asked me if, at some point, I had left the workplace for a year or two, wondering if I had taken a sabbatical. While in retrospect, I sometimes wished I had the resources to do that, I never did.

What was interesting to me was that I heard three variations on this story over the years. The first was that I had left the department. The second was that I took a leave of absence. And the third was that I had retired early. None of the three was true.

The reality is, I worked for a large organization where we were most fortunate in having the possibility of moving around and trying new things, if we wanted to. Even though I was a very happy employee in the positions I held, I did take advantage of the opportunity to spread my wings a little, to learn new skills and find enjoyment in applying my skills in different ways. Maybe that’s why I was a happy employee.

That being the case, I believe the rumour stems from the fact that I did change branches within the department and relocated to different buildings a few times. Perhaps it was a case of out of sight, out of mind. In doing so, in losing sight of colleagues we used to see daily, sometimes people fill in the blanks with speculation or things they thought they heard.

I don’t know where the rumour started, by whom, or why, but it did lead to some humorous moments.

There was one time I showed up to an all-staff meeting and could not help but laugh at the look of surprise on some people’s faces as they had just seen a ghost. That was when I was reminded of the fact that some people thought I was no longer there, but… Surprise!… I was.

Then there were the times I was stopped by colleagues either in the lobby or out on a lunchtime walk, asking, “So, you’re back?!” Their confused looks said it all when I’d respond, “Back from where?”

And then there were the offshoot rumors that made their way back to me, speculating on illness, promotion, or family-related leave, supporting the reasons for my sudden departure that never happened.

Either way, I can’t say I ever worried or paid much attention to rumours. What’s the point anyway, since they really are out of our control? Fortunately, the rumours about me and their derivatives were never negative or rude toward me personally. I was lucky in that respect.

Now that I have retired and that I am no longer there, can we finally put the rumours to rest?

Unfortunately, no.

At that same retirement party, I was floored to hear that there was a new rumour circulating that I had returned to the department on a casual basis, working on a new project.

When it comes to rumours, you just can’t win.

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Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André