Gossip

15 Things that Gossip Girl Has Taught Me
So maybe I'm a little late to this party but, Kristen Bell's ominous voice has taught me that it's never too late to crash.
I've been in New York for five years: that's countless Saturday nights and Gilmore Girl marathons. And I've never experienced anything like the Van der Woodsen's--or even the Humphrey's, in my time here. That's part of what makes it so enviable: you recognize the cross-streets but not the cash-flow, the buildings but not the business.
And yet, the plight of Blair and Serena is the story of every girl. And the lessons learned from failed relationships, from old "frenemies," from blackmail, have the power to make a person grateful not to have enough money or clout to do real damage but, like any good hero's journey, perhaps the land of girls and gossip can serve as a call to action: we have the same opportunities to make a change. Even more because our indiscretions aren't posted on websites or printed in magazines.

So what's stopping up? And what can we learn from New York City's most fabulous elite?

1. The truth always comes out. 
2. "Good" is a relative term. 
3. Being a socialite is a full-time job. 
4. Trust no one. 
5. Things aren't always as they seem. 
6. Family is the only constant. 
7. People do not like to be pawns. 
8. The more you spin a web the harder it is to avoid the spider. 
9. Being honest with yourself is the first step.
10. It doesn't pay to sleep with your best friend's boyfriend. 
11. It's important to recognize when the jig is up.
12. There's more than one way of being a man.
13. There's more than one way to be a family.
14. It's always better to be honest...even if it isn't as fun. 
15. The third person in a threesome should always be a stranger.

Some of these are less applicable to me than others but they all seem wise--and somehow metaphorical. I'm seeking wisdom from the strangest of places and borrowing lessons from wherever they come; one day at a time.