Nerdy paean

I have been working for months now on a mapping project and it has involved hours of close silent concentration. Hours absorbed in the incremental stacking together of facts and logic to create something useful and tightly argued. Hours breathless in the meticulous, repetitive, elegant treatment of data. There are of course other activities whose pleasure is more immediately accessible - sex, food, sports, laughter with friends, the list goes on - but I love this solitary, scholarly joy so much. The world falls away and I unravel shining riddles; each problem is just an opportunity to refine my thinking and make sure that what I ultimately produce is strong and true.