People Who Read
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Our neighbor Carolyn Wolfrum started a Southern Gables book club. Did you know? We put an announcement about it in the Spring Newsletter, and they held their first meeting back in June. I missed it. I went to the one last night, though. Since they decided at the first meeting to get together just every other month, it was their second meeting.
I like being around people who read. I’m not much of a reader myself, but being with people who are smarter than I am, people who have had different experiences, people with wide-ranging imaginations and creativity, people with a more practical and logical outlook on life… it’s all good. Sometimes if we’re too closed in, all we can hear is our own voice echoing.
The best thing about participating in a book club is that it provides a focus for knowing and appreciating people who might not ordinarily be exposed to each other’s thoughts and experiences. That alone fosters a sense of community and connection. Sharing thoughts and perspectives on a book with others can deepen your understanding and appreciation of whatever story is at hand, but that’s just the tip of it. What it does is open your eyes. Sure, there’s a book, but more than that it’s a way to gain new ideas and viewpoints you might not have considered on your own. A book club can provide a wonderful opportunity to make new friends, improve your social skills, and enjoy engaging discussions in a relaxed and supportive environment. It’s a great way to combine a love of reading with meaningful social interaction.
Last night at a home in Southern Gables, nine neighbors got together to talk about a book, The Women by Kristin Hannah. Some were old neighborhood friends and some were new. The book was about Army nurses in the Vietnam war. From the book description…
“As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, [Nurse] Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets – and becomes one of – the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost… But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.”
The book club meeting, right here in Southern Gables last evening, included some who had lived through the Vietnam war era as participants or protesters, some who had family members who were involved, and some who had only read about it in history books. As with just about any book – any good book – there was a full spectrum of thoughts and experiences brought out, examined, exchanged, and added to the life-store of knowledge and insight that each of us keeps inside. These are the things that makes our lives colorful, interesting, and rewarding. It’s right here in Southern Gables, and it’s a community connection with people I like to be with: people who read. 
The next meeting of the Southern Gables Book Club – that is, an opportunity to enjoy being with people who read – will be on Wednesday October 16 at 7:00 pm for The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride. If you would like to join the discussion, email [email protected] to let her know and she’ll send you the location. It’s just one more great thing about living in Southern Gables!
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