Just finished my first book club meeting where I actually spoke up

I used to just sit there and nod along while everyone else argued about themes and symbolism. My old approach was basically keeping my mouth shut because I was scared of saying something dumb. Then last month our group read "The Martian" and I had a strong opinion about the survival scenes. I finally blurted out that the science felt way too convenient and how that bugged me. To my surprise, three other people agreed and we got into this great debate that lasted 20 minutes. Now I actually prep a few thoughts before meetings instead of just skimming the last 50 pages the night before. What small wins have you guys had that made you feel more confident in your club?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopherj633d ago

oh man that's awesome, good for you for speaking up! a buddy of mine had a similar thing happen at his scifi book club. they were reading "children of time" and he was just gonna keep quiet like usual but then someone said spiders don't have culture and he snapped and went on this whole rant about how they clearly do in the book because of the genetic engineering. he was shaking after but like five people high fived him and now he brings notes on his phone. small victories feel huge when you're the quiet type.

williamschmidt3d ago

That's exactly how it goes for the quiet ones. Once you pop that cork once, it gets easier every time. @christopherj63 your buddy is smart bringing notes now too, I bet he catches stuff nobody else noticed. Those little moments where you finally say your piece shift something in your head, like you realize your opinion actually counts for something. Pretty soon he'll be the guy everyone looks to for the deep dive on the spider society politics.