Ten years ago today I went back to work in an office again. I had been a full-time freelancer for many years by then and —truth be told — wasn't sure that being a staff writer-editor would "take." It's not that the work wasn't interesting; it was giving up the freedom of the freelance life and swallowing the three-hour round-trip commute.
But I did swallow it, and through the years have earned back a bit of flexibility. It's a routine and a rhythm I've gotten used to. But it's not the work that matters. What matters is the writing I do when I'm not working. Which, in a way, renders the anniversary moot. But I celebrate it still. It was a milestone.