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And that in itself speaks volumes, I think. The other thing that I would just add is that, and that we were talking about at lunch, is that in 1970 these questions were a very large part of our thinking. They occupied almost all of the realms of our thinking. They affected us in everyday ways, they were very forefront in our minds as issues. Today these questions occupy a very tiny amount of our attention and thoughts. They're not gone, they can't be, but the presence of them in our creative lives is very small actually. I suppose that's something to be glad for.
It's part of the fact that when you're just beginning these things are large and when you've worked a while, and you have a degree of experience, confidence and pleasure in what you're doing, they matter less. They simply matter less, and you've developed ways to deal with the difficulties and enjoy the joys. They just are very much more background issues. And you should feel encouraged, all of you, that these are not consuming things. That these things won't consume you always. While recognizing that you may not think that they're issues at all now, and may discover later that they are, they also won't always consume you. The presence of them as large factors in your own work satisfaction and accomplishment needn't be so large and probably will decrease.
I'd like to leave on an upbeat note. I love this work! I would never do anything else. I would never do it differently. I would never discourage a woman from entering the field. I think it's wonderful, and I think there's every reason to be optimistic!
