Thread by @GodlessNZ

(1) "I got tired of hearing from people who can’t see what I see. It’s just a phase. I’ll be more charitable at some point. Right now I prefer the company of old postcards."

quodverum.com/2018/12/354/th…

(2) WWI flamethrower expert Thomas Wictor bowed out of social media and is now writing at thomaswictor.com and quodverum.com. I'm writing at QV, too, but at a ratio of about 1:10 TW articles.

His above quote resonated with me so I want to "unpack it" a little.

(3) Firstly, I am keenly looking forward to the day when we can all converse at QV, bc the feedback loop is vital to my process of learning, reflecting, and writing about politics. Your replies to my threads make a huge difference to the final product.

(4) It's pretty obvious that my favorite commentator is SaulMontes-Bradley.com, and I wouldn't have known who he was if I hadn't started reading TW's tweets almost two years ago. So I am forever grateful to TW. We disagree on many issues but that doesn't matter... why should it?

(5) Despite our differences, it fascinates me that TW & I have similar backgrounds & lifestyles (he was the one who coined the term Lady Hermitess; there are quite a few of us on Twitter.) Disability forces me to spend much of my time at home, but I found the silver lining.

(6) I never intended to become what I now call an amateur pundit on US and world politics. But it is one of the things that gives my life meaning. If you've lost a thriving career to disability or something else, you will know what I mean.

If I wasn't online, I'd still write.

(7) In his QV article today, TW says he has "bowed out." I think he means bowed out from social media; it seems to be working for him. Every day I read tweets where people say "I miss TW." Well, my response to that is: Go find him on other websites; read one of his books, etc.

(8) "Right now, I’m scanning photos from my vast collection, in anticipation of writing books on World War One assault troops. I scan & then touch up the images using photo-editing software."

I'm doing something similar with family history pix & documents. It's time consuming.

(9) I've discovered several great-uncles and their friends who fought in WWI, so naturally I've been learning more about that war. In many ways, it was more significant in world history than WWII. Their personal stories are intriguing, too.

(10) There's more to life than social media, or politics, or most things.

Look after number one. Put on your own oxygen mask first.

If the negativity of Twitter is getting to you, take a break for a duration & at intervals that suit you. We'll still be here when you get back.

(11) More than anything, what I finally learned when I became a conservative in 2016, is that we are responsible for our choices. That is powerful.

The 1875 poem Invictus (unconquered) was written by another disabled person. May it inspire you.

END

poetryfoundation.org/poems/51642/in…