We might like to believe that there are such things as shared experiences that cut across societies, but the truth is far otherwise. The pandemic serves as a particularly striking example. There are those in various nations who've enjoyed the experience of lockdown; for others it has been a nightmare. Some have prospered over the last year; others face economic catastrophe.
I can't say I've enjoyed the experience, but it hasn't been all that bad for me, and I can count some small positives. I've been lucky, so far.
So it seems all the more incumbent on me to try and understand the experiences of others in other places to keep somewhat in touch with what for so many, too many, has proved a grim reality. I read a couple of powerful articles today by and about Rachel Clarke, a palliative care doctor in the UK, whose reflections on the experience of dealing directly with covid victims have featured previously in the press. The first, extracted from book she's written, has a quiet power about it; the second, an interview, brings things up to date, reminding us of the uncertainty of it all.
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