Struggles with the third paper

The third paper is much harder to write... It is harder to come up with common themes for four very different and distinct individuals. I struggled so greatly. I thought I could just list them case by case, but my supervisor said that was too boring. It was. It was a chunk full of words. So I re-wrote it into strange dichotomies. There's this inner-quantitative-man in me that likes binaries very much. I have a tendency to do this... My supervisor told me binaries are not themes, themes are focused on a single aspect and don't come in this-or-thats. Today, I tried again... Finally, a semblance of themes. I will need to read through what I wrote and refine it and also adjust my Discussion according to it.

This paper is taking much longer than expected to complete... We were targeting mid-August...

However, I noticed I have really grown in terms of receiving feedback. In the past, when my supervisor had once asked me to make drastic changes like this, I actually broke down and cried, because I did not know how to do it. My dear friend, Glenda, comforted me. Back then, I really had no resources to draw on, because I was doing major re-writing for the first time. But today, when something's not right, I just go back to the drawing board, quite emotionlessly and re-structure, re-work and re-write. It has reached a stage that perhaps I am close to calling it a skill I have mastered... The skill of changing the way I think and write, as others and myself wish and dictate. I no longer find that I am restricted to a set of thoughts or piece or writing because of a lack of ability or resources to change.

So this is something worth celebrating over.

*pats herself on the shoulder*

Good job! :)