A Love Letter to Community
Would you like to guess what I did with my Sunday last week? Guided cheese tasting? Goat yoga? A 24 hour long silent meditation Instagram challenge? No, in fact, I did something even better: a Wallace and Grommet quadruple-bill movie marathon at my local cinema. And the best part? This was a craft club showing, so I could bring my knitting. For those of you who don’t yet know, a cinema craft club hosts special screenings where they keep the lights up, specifically so you can bring knitting, crochet, or other crafts. For two hours I was surrounded by a community of crafters: absolute bliss.
Some of you are probably already thinking that this is your nightmare. You go to the cinema for escape, to be in a dark room and not have to look at or talk to anyone else. Maybe you have a busy job in a bustling office and want your Saturday afternoons silent. However, with more and more of us working from home, and all of us still recovering from the enforced isolation of Covid, I think many people are looking for the community we just don’t have in our lives anymore. At the craft club screening, I chatted to people I’d never met before, complimenting their clay sculpture, or knitting or drawing. A group of strangers with a shared interest is a powerful thing. So where do you find yours?
For those of you who are natter fans (natterers? Nat-nuts? Answers on a postcard), you will not be surprised to learn that my first answer is to start with your local library. I know for a fact that my local library runs a mental health colouring group, an American literature appreciation group, a knit and natter group and a separate knitting club for men who knit. All are free to join and have no long-term commitment. Just the idea of a group of men meeting each week to knit and chat about their lives fills my heart with so much joy. If we can get men to make friends and knit together, maybe we can solve world peace. Well, it’s a start anyway.
Maybe you’re an introvert, and talking to other people is your idea of hell? Do not worry, I’ve got you covered. My local indie bookshop (the wonderful Book Hive in Norwich) runs a weekly silent reading hour. With gentle lo-fi music. And wine or herbal tea. And it’s entirely free. Yes, my introverted brethren, you heard that right: an hour of reading with no obligation to talk, but you get to do it in the company of others. Not to mention the session-opening banter between the booksellers is incredible. I’ve started going every week and I love it.
If you’re sporty I’m willing to bet there’s a running club in your area. This isn’t one I can speak to personally (the idea of running with a group brings back ghastly memories of running a mile in year ten pe), but I know of at least three in my local area. Or you could find a football or netball team, or even a Zumba class.
So, if you too are feeling the grey of winter, I can really encourage you to go out and find some community events in your local area. They don’t have to be fancy or expensive (or even cost anything at all) and I can almost guarantee that spending some time with other people will boost your mood. Also please let me know if goat yoga or guided cheese tasting actually exist, because I would be dying to try them.