#045: When to isolate, when to integrate
Bibi Mangki Bookbed, Offline Hangout, books I worked on this 2024, and more tiny yet precious life moments
Hey, there! OK to BE is a Sunday newsletter about my adventures in reading, writing stories, creating art, collaborating, and being human. If you want to see more of my creative work, visit my page, subscribe to my YouTube channel, and support me on Patreon. Thanks for reading! ^_^
One of the biggest misconceptions about me is that I am an extrovert. I wish I were, but I am not. What probably misleads some people is the fact that when they meet me or spend time with me, I can come across as high-energy, warm, chatty, bubbly, and/or socially confident—things associated with being extroverted. (These are not my claims, btw! These are adjectives I’ve collected from some of my friends and colleagues who first thought I was an extrovert a long, looooong time ago.)
I’m very flattered, thanks. I would love to be an extrovert! But, again, I am an introvert (nope, not an ambivert) and have accepted that I will always be even if I can have some golden retriever traits in my otherwise black-cat aura. My energy is super limited, more so now that I’m older. I select, distribute, and maximize it. Many other times, I would say no, thank you.
Now, I would be lying if I said I don’t wonder about how my life and career could be “better” (whatever “better” means in my imagined world of success at a given moment) if only I were a bit more extroverted. If only!
Thankfully, being older does have its perks—I can reflect and understand why or why not, for one. (I rarely feel FOMO, would be another.) And as I’ve come to learn, there is no greater joy and peace than knowing that I can continue being me and working on myself as I am and many good things will still come my way. And sometimes, good things still come even if I “hide away” from the world (because so many times I JUST TRULY CAN’T).
All that said, I have no serious qualms about being perceived as an extrovert. It only ever matters to me when I’m expected to pour that level of energy or this much investment when I’ve established that I can only do *this*. Boundaries should always be set, upheld, recognized, and respected, regardless of anyone’s personality type anyway.
How’s this very introverted musing for a Christmas greeting? Haha. I hope to talk more about life soon. Happy holidays to all!
The annual Pasko Fiesta in downtown Davao (which imo failed to establish alternative routes for the public, causing a lot of chaos, confusion, and traffic jams that night, lol)
📚 Reading
I worked on a few manuscripts and books this year! Some are still in the works so I can’t share those, but if you think I am missing a title, please let me know.
Featuring the works here so we can support the authors and stories. Thank you for reading local!
A Quiet Unfolding by Dawn Lanuza, Layla S. Tanjutco, KB Meniado, Allonah Gacutan, Dominique Gonzaga-Sulatra, Kring Talladen, LAKAN TULA, Romy Peña-Cruz
Haliya: A Moonchild’s Journey by Yna Cabredo Balacano
Guts and Grit by A.J. Antonio
Tellurian Dreams by Khiara Laurea
Entwined by Khiara Laurea and Miel Salva
Veiled by Khiara Laurea
A Tale of Mayhem, Myth, and Magic by Sofia Perez
Bianca and The Portal of the In-Betweens by Faith S. Bullena
Chasing Mr. Prefect by Katt Briones
🎨 Creating
I’ve been working on re-opening Bibi Mangki Bookbed! All posts on my Patreon.
That said…
🤝🏼 Collaborating
Bibi Mangki Bookbed, our small but packed library based in Davao City, is now open! This is a collab by, as you can see, Bibi Mangki and Bookbed :)) If you’re ever in the city, visit us! Read all the info by clicking the button below.
I spent a slow, soul-enriching afternoon at the Offline Hangout last December 15. I was there initially for Bookbed, but really, I was mainly there to have fun and connect in real life. Check out the posts here and here! Special thanks to Loreen, Feminine Sparks Studio, Humble Table, and everyone who participated.
That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. See you in the next one!
☀️ KB
Many thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)