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One "good" thing to come out of these difficult times for me personally is that it& #39;s given me a sort of context and affinity for better making sense of history. Until this happened, I never really specifically lived through anything that *really* affected me personally
(I mean, every Singaporean serves two years of mandatory conscription, which is a consequence of history – but because everyone does it, and you& #39;re kinda-sorta mentally prepared for it from childhood, it& #39;s not that big a deal.)
I remember when 9/11 happened (it& #39;s my sister& #39;s birthday actually, and we were having pizza at home when we saw the news on TV) – and there was some nervousness and uncertainty, and security everywhere was ramped up. I remember the teachers in school were nervous the next day
when I wrote this tweet, my understanding of the phenomenon was entirely "intellectualized". I had to use my imagination, call upon scenes from the media and so on. But it was still something fundamentally foreign to my experience https://twitter.com/visakanv/status/1119618716428201984">https://twitter.com/visakanv/...
I& #39;m not saying "I now understand what the Black Death was like". It must have been so much worse in so many ways – imagine not even knowing germ theory, etc. But I think I can say that I understand it a *little* better. It& #39;s still a little foreign, but it& #39;s not entirely alien
I& #39;m currently passing time by reading about intellectual clubs and scenes throughout history – and I feel like now I have a better "sense" for all sorts of things, like reading about the Great Depression, or the World Wars. A sense of the moods, at least https://twitter.com/visakanv/status/1067772077241884673">https://twitter.com/visakanv/...
a challenging to convey via media – many have tried, to various degrees of success – is what it& #39;s like when the entire mood of an entire population shifts. You can read about it but it still hits different when it& #39;s your family, friends & your whole world https://twitter.com/visakanv/status/1033297365359194112">https://twitter.com/visakanv/...
which isn& #39;t to then say that all media is futile because it can never fully prepare you for reality. to some degree I do feel like I have been moderately well-prepared for our current reality, psychologically, through all the media I have consumed & reflected on over the years
I think what I& #39;m arriving at here is gratitude for good art, good writing, made with love, and I& #39;m making an effort to renew my love for it. It is the nourishment that gives me the strength I need to serve others in need, and I& #39;d like to pay it forward https://twitter.com/visakanv/status/999478529342357506">https://twitter.com/visakanv/...
