The Parallel Reading Society was created for two main reasons; To encourage reading without a strict deadline nor a specific book and community involvement.

In our society today we are in a constant daily battle with highly addictive attention drainers called social media applications. From the moment you open up the app you are in a battle designed specifically to make you lose. I have had my own long battles with social apps that have not, despite the name, brought any meaningful or sustainable benefit to my social life. But as this is just a background info section I will not get all substack on you (but feel free to ask me in person because I am more than willing to deep dive into it with you). So, with an increasing reading list and diminishing attention, sleep, and articulation, I was through. Something had to give. And wow, I had the dramatic realization that it really is that phone.

I believe there is something incredibly valuable about being part of a community where people both give and receive. In our post covid era, we have become so accustomed to doing things independently that sometimes we forget the society we are apart of (another in person deep dive topic). Community involvement does not always have to mean volunteering for an organization or participating in some grand initiative. Sometimes it is as simple as offering your neighbor who doesn't own a car a ride to the grocery store, helping a coworker who has a lot on their plate, checking in on someone you haven't heard from in a while, or sharing something you know with someone who wants to learn. And just as importantly, it means being comfortable enough to ask for those same things in return. I want us to foster environments where helping others is second nature and asking for help is not something we hesitate to do.

So, how do we make that happen? We start by showing up. The Parallel Reading Society will be a space where people can come together regularly to read, talk, share ideas, learn from one another, and hopefully build relationships that extend beyond our gatherings. There will be opportunities to get involved in our communities, offer help where it is needed, and create an environment where people feel comfortable reaching out to one another. There is no expectation that you arrive having accomplished anything. If you haven't finished your targeted reading, come. If you haven't even started, come. If you just want to sit in the company of others, come. Bring your book, your curiosity, your unfinished reading list, or simply yourself. The goal is not perfection or productivity, but presence. Let's switch out the screen for a human being.