Time is a tyrant

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Earlier today, I was thinking of all the things I've been planning to do. It started with me wondering why I'm not a full-time mom, because I occasionally find myself wishing that I were. Of course, aside from the fact that I have to earn a living, I also enjoy my job tremendously. So, the desire to be a full-time mom is really a function of time. I would love to have enough time to do all the activities I'd like to do with my kids and do my job well.

But it's not as if my family and my job are the only things I want to do. I'm not even talking about bucket list things here, although I do hope to spend a few weeks in each major European city one day. I'm talking about simple, doable things like my hobbies (reading) and my advocacies (reading) which I haven't gotten around to because there are only so many hours in a day.

There are all those books I've been wanting to read. Books in my physical TBR, books in my Kindle's TBR, books in people's best of 2012 book lists, books that my friends are pimping to me, books that very few people read but promise to be awesome, etc., etc.

Like, did you know that Kirkus Reviews came out with a list of the 100 Best Teen Books of 2012? I'm not a big teen book reader, though I do dabble now and then. But 100! They actually narrowed down the list to 100 teen titles published in 2012. And that's just for teen books. There's a different list for fiction, non-fiction, children's. One hundred books each. My point is, how can a reader compete? We might not like all of the books in Kirkus's list, but I think it's safe to say that there are just so many good books being published these days that there is no chance to read everything we might want to read.

So we limit, we set standards, we prioritize. Because time is something we can never bargain with, no matter how much we want to or wish for a TARDIS (Doctor Who's time machine, for the non-fans). And like some of my mentors always said, you focus on the things you can control.

I can control my reading goals, which have always been personal. Whether I meet my goals or not won't have a big impact on you or anyone else. But then there are my reading advocacy plans, which might have a bigger impact. Or, at least, I hope they have a bigger impact, otherwise what's the use of that advocacy?

I really could use one of these. (img src)
These, then, are the things I've always wanted to do and have been planning on doing, with the help of many friends:

  1. Work on the incorporation of the Filipino ReaderCon. Why? Because it will have a greater potential for sustainability.
  2. Conduct an online survey that mirrors the 2012 Readership Survey conducted by the National Book Development Board and the Social Weather Station. Why? Because I think it would be useful for publishers and authors to get answers to the questions from a population with a potentially higher reading index. And I'm hoping it would give the reading community vindication.
  3. Help set up a Filipino Book Bloggers' (FBB) directory. Like, set up a Google form in the FBB website that will save the info in a public and free excel file that publishers and authors can use for marketing purposes and book bloggers can use to find fellow book bloggers.
  4. Start planning for next year's ReaderCon. Already have a couple of new segments and talks in mind and the tentative theme is "What Other People Are Reading." I admit I am stealing this idea from something the people at Fully Booked said: that readers just want to know what other readers are reading. And that makes perfect sense. Case in point: book bloggers. Also, I'd like to have more regional representation in next year's ReaderCon.:)
  5. Help the Readers' Choice Awards get more exposure and more traction.
  6. Talk more with Paolo about what we can do for the Young Adult Reader Carnival (YARC) and high school book clubs.

And then the other things that I haven't fully thought out yet but would love to make happen:
  • Book clubs "adopting" a public school or a district and helping said "adoptee" through book donations and book discussions or tips for setting up their own clubs. Why? Because book clubs I know have a wealth of books, have enormous experience with fun book discussions, and are truly passionate about the things they read. It would be nice to show these things to schools with struggling reading programs and get them excited about reading, too.
  • Help make World Book Night happen in the Philippines.

Why am I posting all of this here? Partly to force myself into action, thereby exercising some control over the tyranny of time; partly so that people can steal my ideas, if they so want to. I am not averse to someone else doing any of these things, as long as someone does them. (well, that is, except the program for the ReaderCon. I love coming up with the program.) But I would think that everything else is fair game.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think these things are glaring gaps in the local scene. And the gaps need to be filled. However, if there are already existing projects like these, then point me their way and I will gladly join or support them. Yeah, I have time.

So, uh, any of these things you want to help out with?

Comments

Anonymous said…
This is why I admire you. You're a mom, I'm not, and I cannot have any excuse to not help or give moral support in these wonderful undertakings. I don't know how I can help. Probably you can keep us updated with your posts so that we could lend a hand in any way that we can.

And yes, you can expect me to be there at next year's ReaderCon. :)
December 12, 2012 at 10:13 AM
fantaghiro23 said…
Thank you, Angus! Your moral support is a big deal. Tells me I'm not alone in wanting these things. And yes, will keep you guys updated.:)
December 12, 2012 at 10:26 AM
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