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Great little piece. I could relate in terms of the sisyphean task of revising a novel, which is never done even when pried from the writer's hands.

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Exactly! And it can be (hopefully temporarily) soul-destroying. So we have to remember to take some joy or relief (at least) in starting again.

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I love this! Having spent a half hour yesterday trudging in my alpine snowshoes up a section of punishingly steep incline as part of a day hike in the Whites, I know exactly this feeling! Taking in the views at the top was exhilarating, all the more so because of the work it took to get there.

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And it was a beautiful day to be out, too! So, yes, the work is worth the reward. But also, isn't there something sort of mesmerizing about the work itself, those thirty tough minutes where perhaps you -didn't- look around much at the views because you had to do the work

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Absolutely. That feeling of focus and single-minded purpose is weirdly intoxicating. I feel the same way when I'm climbing up a wall at the climbing gym. My mind never wanders, because it can't. It's a sort of meditation.

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People talk/write about the flow of rock climbing. I'm not good enough to have experienced it myself.

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Mar 15, 2022
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You’re welcome! I agree with you on the meditative nature of editing. Certain kinds of editing, anyway. I like your trifecta: meditative, demanding, and enjoyable. Something to look for in what we do!

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