The Questions That Stay With You
One of the things I enjoy most about reading is that the best books don’t end when you close the cover. They continue through the conversations they inspire. That was certainly true after reading Yesteryear, where discussions stretched well beyond the plot itself and into topics that feel increasingly relevant to all of us.
I registered to attend a book retreat and this was the chosen book.
Without giving away too much for those who haven’t read it, Yesteryear explores the tension between who we really are and who we allow others to see. It raises questions about identity, influence, social media and the unintended consequences of living portions of our lives online. While the story is fictional, the issues it explores are anything but. Every day we make decisions about what to share, what to hold back and how much of ourselves exists in the digital world versus the real one.
As a PR practitioner, I couldn’t help but think about the responsibility that comes with shaping narratives. Communications professionals don’t just help organizations tell their stories. We also have an obligation to encourage authenticity, build trust and remember that every message reaches real people with real emotions and experiences. Technology has made it easier than ever to create influence. It has also made it more important than ever to exercise judgment.
The book also prompted conversations about mental health, belonging and the pressure many people feel to live up to an idealized version of themselves. Social media has an incredible ability to connect us, but it can also leave us comparing our behind-the-scenes reality to someone else’s carefully curated highlight reel. Those are conversations worth having, particularly as leaders, parents, mentors and communicators who influence others every day.
The best stories don’t provide all the answers. They simply encourage us to ask better questions. Yesteryear did exactly that for me. And thanks to a remarkable weekend spent with fellow readers in the Catskills, those questions became richer because they were explored together.
Sometimes the greatest value of a book isn’t what happens within its pages. It’s what happens after we turn the final one.
