Vana quoque ad veros accessit fama timores is Latin for: Idle rumors were also added to well-founded apprehensions.
The Jews have a more simple proverb: What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth.
Both would be well heeded in the North Island after a pair of rumours seemingly came out of nowhere, but took on lives of their own.
The first revolved around Friday’s earthquake.
Sure, it rattled a few dishes and caused a few dogs to bark, but folks it’s not a sign the “big one” is nigh.
The remark was first heard at a local watering hole soon after the noon hour quake hit, then spread with urgent speed all around the North Island.
The second rumour was the Port Hardy hospital was shutting its doors, closing them forever.
This one really had legs.
People were talking about it all over town and all over Facebook, that conduit of social scatology.
It’s true, people said. There’s even a secret meeting with civic leaders Tuesday to discuss ways to handle the horrible turn of events.
Well, yes, there was a meeting Tuesday that drew government officials, medical professionals, and First Nations participants.
But the confab was to discuss ways to stem the number of times the ER closes because of a lack of available medical professionals.
To be sure, that’s one heck of a serious matter, especially if one is ill and forced to find medical attention elsewhere.
But it’s nowhere near as frightening as the entire hospital putting out the For Rent sign.
So, let’s all just take a breath, relax and then we can discuss the paternity suit against Russ Hellberg.