Yesterday I had the absolute joy of being a vendor at our local community Pride event.
All day, a steady stream of people came by my booth. We chatted about books, both as readers and as writers. We talked in excited tones about our favorite thrillers, we laughed about our unwieldy TBRs, and we discussed how isolating writing can be. It was a long, physically taxing day, and I loved every single second of it.
The day was hot, the park venue was muddy, and there were more bugs per square inch of air than I’ve seen in a while. Not one person among the hundreds I saw and spoke with seemed to care, though—me included. We came together in a place of safety and love, where everyone was free to be who they are and express themselves in the ways that felt natural. We accepted each other without question. We were—and are—a community.
As the world around us gets harder to navigate and as we find ways to weather the storms stoked by others, community is more important now than ever. The nature of what we do is isolative—we write alone. We read alone. And sure, we enjoy those things. But no matter how introverted we may be, belonging is an essential human need. Community helps insulate us from the ills of the world.
Reach out, friends. Join a writing group (if you’re local to me, I run one! Shameless plug: ask me about it). Frequent your local library and be among like-minded folks. If you’re already part of these things, invite others to join. Whatever it is you do, find your community and stick together. I know it can be scary to meet new people and be vulnerable enough to reach out, but we’re out there and we’re welcoming, and we can find each other if we’re all willing to look.
Friends, we need each other.