Stability is a force that can easily be taken for granted. It’s an unspoken expectation that tomorrow, our home will still be standing, our job will be intact, our friends and family will be alive and healthy, and the world will keep on turning.

So far it feels like 2025 has turned all those expectations on their heads, creating an atmosphere of anxiety and uncertainty about what the future may hold. How do you keep going when just turning on the TV is enough to send you into an existential crisis?

There’s a lot of chatter going on right now about how important it is in times like these to invest in your Community, with a capital “C.” I have had the privilege of working at Off the Beaten Path Bookstore for about eight years now, and every day I am blessed to be able to witness the power of Community with a capital “C.”

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I’m also reminded daily that building such a community does not happen overnight, nor does it come without some sweat equity.

A few months ago, I picked up the book “The Great Good Place” by Ray Oldenburg, a fantastic thesis on the importance of what Oldenburg called “third places.”

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That put me on a journey through several other books about community and third places, such as “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara and “Finding Your Third Place” by Richard Kyte, all of which share a similar idea — it is essential to people’s well-being that they have a place where they feel they belong, without expectation or judgment, that’s not their place of employment or their home.

Third places are so valuable, in fact, that in 2023 when the surgeon general released an advisory on America’s loneliness epidemic, they were specifically mentioned as important places for refuge and connection. For some it’s a bar (“Where Everybody Knows Your Name”), for some a favorite coffee shop, for others the library, and for many, of course, the local bookstore.

As important as it is to have these spaces available, it’s equally important that a certain amount of buy-in is demonstrated by both the employees and the patrons of such an establishment. A bookstore cannot live on bread alone. The beautiful part about investing in your Community (with a capital C) is that the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

It’s when one of our regulars brings the staff cookies for Christmas. It’s when a friend of the store offers to shovel our sidewalk on a particularly snowy morning. It’s when we throw an extra cookie in the bag of the person who told us they’re having a rough day.

It’s when we offer a hug and a shoulder to cry on for our neighbors whose business will be shuttered for the foreseeable future or hear the news of the loss of a beloved community member.

It’s when we band together to deliver meals to a coworker in need. It’s when someone brings us a piece of art for our walls. It’s a million little moments that, when put together, paint a bigger picture: we are here for each other.

If you, like me, are finding the news of the world overwhelming, I want you to consider how you’ve been prioritizing your capital C community. If you find that it’s not much of a priority at all, I have good news — small gestures that show you care are the first step.

Smile at your cashier. Ask your friend how they’re doing and really mean it. Make time for that catch-up cup of coffee. Be curious, be kind, and look for opportunities for compassion and connection. You might be surprised at the results.

Want some ideas on how to build your Community? Off the Beaten Path Bookstore has events happening all the time, from author events to “Dungeons and Dragons” to book release parties, and we even have author Richard Kyte himself coming this summer to talk about how to find your third place.

Dusky Grouse Coffee is another great community-oriented space, hosting several mental health support groups each month.

Bud Werner Library not only has great free author events, they also host documentary showings, book clubs, genealogy groups, and more.

Need more ideas? Check out the Community Corner of our New Release room next time you’re at the bookstore for details on community groups and other volunteer opportunities.

Megan Mertens is general manager of Off the Beaten Path Bookstore.