who to judge?

Book club is changing…

The Computer Lab

Hi everyone! It’s me, Anneliese [Judge]. Today is New Year’s Eve. I’m sitting on my couch writing this with my two index fingers on my IPad. It might be 2025 by the time I finish writing this. In elementary school I took a typing class. Multiple, I think - actually. It was required with all the up and coming, new technology. My school bought these wooden tray tables that sat right above the keyboard, and the goal was to learn to type without looking at the keys. Preparing me for the cool office job I was maybe going to have in some alternate reality. My teacher showed me how to use all of my fingers (minus the thumbs) for ample speed. I feel like I remember some of the benchmark typing tests being timed. I definitely remember hating - no, LOATHING these afternoons in the computer lab. Between you and me, I would hunch over and lean back just enough to see over the wooden board meant to block my vision (without tipping off my teacher that I was cheating, of course). I like to think I type with my two index fingers to this day out of spite. “That’s not how you’re SUPPOSED to do it.”. “You’re doing it WRONG.”. Yeah, well this is how I LIKE to do it. I’m still unlearning a lot of my people pleasing habits. Pleaseeee don’t misunderstand, I definitely typed the “correct” way when the teacher was watching, but I like to smile at this innocently rebellious memory.

What does this have to do with anything?

I’m glad you (I) asked. My teacher is not the villain in trying to teach me A way to type that is efficient and effective and a clearly useful tool for the future. I’m not going to stand on a soapbox about my love and respect for educators (right now), but know the box is just off camera (to the left, yes, right there). I think the point of that story is that I felt judged. There have been many moments in my life in which someone told me the way I liked doing something (even as trivial as loading the dishwasher - ahem) was wrong. Or at least “not right”. I’m not talking about the times where I was truly at fault for something and owed a genuine apology. I’m talking about all the times someone has judged my favorite late night snack choice, my movie theater kids popcorn snack pack (sorry, I’m kind of hungry), my favorite song, the way I like to dance, my outfit, whatever!!! And I feel like other people have felt this too. I can admit that I have judged other people in these ways. I’ve judged myself for these things. But in the last few years, I’ve worked really hard to change that inner self talk. Because who am I to judge? Truly.

I promise i’m getting to it…

I can honestly say that I live my life with a pretty judgement free attitude. I work hard to give people the benefit of the doubt. I make an effort to extend patience and kindness to the person who cut me in line in the grocery store (go ahead, no it’s okay, really). To the other person who was driving way too fast for the road conditions, almost caused an accident, and then flipped ME off. I really do try not to judge them. I think that can be really refreshing. We really can be unnecessarily hard on each other at times. I want book club to be a safe place for readers, but also for the non readers who are intrigued by the book of the month and want to give reading another shot. Who am I to judge how many books you may or may not be juggling at one time, if you dog-ear your pages (ow…. But, same), or how fast you read a book. Life is so busy and so overwhelming sometimes. Reading has always been for me such a joyful thing. A way to unwind after a long day, a confidant, a friend. I’m not trying to be dramatic. I just think it’s okay to enjoy the book you’re reading - no matter if it takes 2 days or 52 or 102 for you to finish it. I think reading makes people more empathetic (I had this conversation with someone fairly recently, but I don’t remember who). Reading constantly puts you in someone else’s shoes. I think it’s important.

(Plot twist! Not really, but maybe a little bit.)

I’m writing to you today about something exciting: Anneliese’s Book Club is becoming who to judge?.

who to judge? is the evolution of something that’s been growing here for a while. Over the past year, I’ve realized that this space should be more than just a place where we talk about books (although, don’t worry, we’ll still do plenty of that). It’s a new name, but with the same heart. It’s like I said before, reading should be something that brings joy, not pressure. So, let’s just enjoy it. However long it takes, and however we choose to do it.

Also the point

Sorry for my soap box. It’s past midnight - Happy New Year friends. My index fingers are feeling a little stiff, so I’ll try to wrap this up. In 2025, I aspire to read more. Because I really enjoyed all of the books we read together last year, and I want to. We will still have one amazing book a month and chat with the author (new format for that too!), but I am also soft launching (or is this a hard launch?) “Favorite Fridays”. Maybe. They might be “Feature Fridays”. Can we agree to call this a soft launch? Thanks, I really appreciate you. But on those Fridays I might post another book I’ve been reading and tell you a little about it. Or I might post the matcha scone and smoothie I had the other day that was really really (really) yummy. It can be a discussion even - Did you have a matcha cookie recently? Was it life changing? Tell me about it. Please. I want to connect with you more this year. I want to connect people with each other more this year. I want to talk more about each book. I want to dig deep. Who are we to judge, right? We're all just figuring it out, one book, one snack, one moment at a time.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk

I’m so excited to grow this together. You and I - WE deserve community and joyful things and fun things. I hope this can be that.

I plan to post on here more often - this was really fun for me. I feel like I’m ending a YouTube video, but subscribe to my channel? My posts? I don’t know. For sure follow the IG page for all the fun @whotojudgeco Talk soon.

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