“Online Book Clubs” by Dorothy Lee Donahue
Q: Dear Dorothy, my name is Theresa and I live in Newport Beach, California. Up until now I have always been able to enjoy life even during difficult times. Now, however, I have been out of work for over 8 months and I was doing ok for the first few months because it appeared that this lock down situation couldn’t possibly go on forever. And now, that I am entering my 9th month of isolation, I have become deeply depressed.
Fortunately, I have been able to get by with my unemployment money, so I am better off than many who have been out of work as long as I have. I am grateful to be able to pay my rent and my bills, but when I was working, I was so busy traveling from state to state and I enjoyed my job and the people I worked with. And now there are just too many hours in the day with nothing to do. I have always read lots of books since I was very young and still do now. In the past, I would share some of the exciting things I gleaned from the books I read with my co workers and now there is no one to share them with. Please help me get over this state of depression as it is getting worse with each passing day.
A: Dear Theresa, I truly understand that being isolated from your former co workers and friends is difficult. However, there are many tools available to you to open up communication once again with your former co workers. Since you shared your love of books with them when you were together, you can still do this now. It may be time for you to co create a meetup group and start a book club. With all of the technology available to us, this can be done electronically.
There are many social media platforms that could serve you and you can actually see one another and communicate in a wonderful way. In fact there are dozens of on line book clubs in action already. I suggest you check out which platform is easiest for you to work with and then contact all of your friends and former co workers and begin connecting with them once again. You could also begin a blog on social media in which you can suggest some of the books you have read and inspire others to read them too.
And, please dear Theresa, know that although this lock down has gone on for so long, it is a temporary situation and the more connections you make now, the sooner you will find your depression lift. I feel that so many of your former co workers are in the same situation as you are and that they will be very grateful for the re-connection that you can offer them. I trust that you will do the research and find the easiest and best way for you to reconnect and not only will you feel better, I believe the ones you contact will feel better too.
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