One "good" thing to come out of these difficult times for me personally is that it'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're kinda-sorta mentally prepared for it from childhood, it's not that big a deal.)

I remember when 9/11 happened (it's my sister'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

I'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's still a little foreign, but it's not entirely alien

I'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

a challenging to convey via media – many have tried, to various degrees of success – is what it's like when the entire mood of an entire population shifts. You can read about it but it still hits different when it's your family, friends & your whole world https://twitter.com/visakanv/status/1033297365359194112

which isn'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'm arriving at here is gratitude for good art, good writing, made with love, and I'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'd like to pay it forward https://twitter.com/visakanv/status/999478529342357506