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"path": "/2026/05/24/roger-deakin-waterlog/",
"publishedAt": "2026-05-24T20:29:56.000Z",
"site": "https://www.themarginalian.org",
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"textContent": "One of my earliest and most vivid childhood memories is of swimming in a cool pool bounded by boulders in the middle of a river in the mountains of Bulgaria, the late-afternoon sun casting komorebi on the water through the rustling leaves. I can still hear the feeling-tone in my body, the strange and lovely simultaneity of absolute presence and absolute peace. I didn’t yet know the word for transcendence. Not long after that, I began swimming competitively in a chlorinated Olympic pool, investing long hours in perfecting my stroke and bettering my lap times. Those four years became a… read article",
"title": "Swimming and the Meaning of Life"
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