Closer: One Page at a Time
Sure quarantine might have allowed you to grab your books a little tighter and sink in a little deeper (if the news channel was turned off) but the isolation is maybe getting to you. You’re starting to feel like the somber, lonely tick of the second hand on your wall clock; but what can be done? When all the social events are shut down, we have to think how technology can bring our houses together.
You might remember hearing about Next Chapter Book Club, I know I keep an open eye on what they’re up to because their model for facilitating community fascinates me. Maybe you’ve thought about local book clubs but even the best of intentions to join or start one got halted or even shredded by quarantine. Checking in with Next Chapter Book Club, I spotted some updates and pictures that showed these tight nit groups around the country and our world have been bridging the social distance gap by virtual meetings. People have been using skype, zoom, facetime, anything they could get their hands on so they could still share a story. If you’re not familiar with Next Chapter, it is a community based book club program for adolescents and adults with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Members of all reading levels (including those who cannot read but still enjoy a good tale) join together. Because it is not about learning to read but reading to learn, community is the heart of the mission. Want to learn more about Next Chapter, visit https://www.nextchapterbookclub.org/ or their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pg/NextChapterBookClub/posts/
Let’s consider their example, with a good microphone and speaker, we can still read chapters together and make this chapter of our lives a little less lonesome. How many of our own cares can be set aside as we apply our mind to what excitements and woes a hero is facing? Is it any wonder that reading can grow empathy? How many heart to hearts can spring over book chatter because we find a like minded soul looking at the same page?
Perhaps you’re wondering how to organize your friends in a virtual book club or meet like-minded people. I’m sure there are many resources out there but this is one I came across: https://bookclubz.com/ Besides the trendy z on the end of their name, this site is committed to being free to its users and staying that way. They accept donations and receive a percentage of Amazon book sales (when done on their webpage) for the upkeep of Bookclubz. The mission of Bookclubz is to “help book clubs stay organized, so that they can stay together.” Understanding that discussing books with friends, neighbors, family members, and new acquaintances can not only make reading more fun but also lead to healthier bonds, Bookclubz was developed while assisting a Philadelphia club out of cumbersome e-mail chains. Now they organize clubs all over the world. You can also join an already existing book club that sounds like it suits you by browsing open clubs here https://bookclubz.com/join-a-book-club
I’m excited to think of all the virtual book clubs, minds sharing over digital waves, something that can flourish regardless of COVID-19. This summer’s crop might not have large gatherings, hoards of people in hotspots, but let’s plant seeds of community where we are and yield a harvest of deeper friendships. Community is something precious and while we quarantine to protect each other, let’s plug in also with virtual meet-ups and protect our friendships.
