When I was in the seventh grade I started a rumor that there was a Nostradamas (sp) prophecy that said that if two Popes died within 6 weeks of each other, the world would end by noon, Friday.
The rumor spread like wildfire and, sure enough, that Friday during our 11:45-12:30 lunch break the lunchroom got totally silent at 11:59am. There were a few clueless individuals who were asking "what's going on?", but even the teachers seemed to be clock-watching.
A few seconds after twelve some people started talking, which pretty much broke up the mood. The overly loud buzz of a lunchroom full of kids feeling relieved started, and that was that.
FWIW, I was never pegged as the starter of the rumor, though my friends knew. It just spread so damned quickly that I was having people tell me about it.
Oddly enough, it was one of the more educational moments of my life.
The rumor spread like wildfire and, sure enough, that Friday during our 11:45-12:30 lunch break the lunchroom got totally silent at 11:59am. There were a few clueless individuals who were asking "what's going on?", but even the teachers seemed to be clock-watching.
A few seconds after twelve some people started talking, which pretty much broke up the mood. The overly loud buzz of a lunchroom full of kids feeling relieved started, and that was that.
FWIW, I was never pegged as the starter of the rumor, though my friends knew. It just spread so damned quickly that I was having people tell me about it.
Oddly enough, it was one of the more educational moments of my life.
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