A funny thing happened on the way to the New Yorker

After getting rejected from the New Yorker  Magazine for about 20,000 times, people ask me why do you keep submitting ?

For an appropriate answer, I'm reminded about the 60 Minutes investigative report back in the 80's when CBS' Morley Safer asked the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh while in his Oregon compound with his cult of 5,000 or so followers ( he had amassed 52 Rolls Royces amongst lots of cash and worldly belongings ) . . . I'll never forget, Morley asked him, " But WHY 52 ROLLS ROYCES ? - - - to which the holy Bhagwan calmly replied - - - " WHY NOT ? " - - -

Right about then, I dropped my coffee ( or my Jack Daniels, I don't remember ) all over my lap.

OR, just as good ( or maybe even better ) an answer is the story of the four-year old boy who was hitting himself on the head with a hammer when his mother walked in the room, grabbed the hammer and asked WHY do you keep hitting yourself in the head with the hammer ? - - - in which the boy calmly replied - - - -
 
" Because it feels so good when it stops hurting ! "