Reflecting on the '60s: Something Gained, Something Lost

Part of: An American Story

America in the '60s: A time of awakening for American women. We bought boots made for walking, roared “I am Woman” for all to hear, traveled on the wild side without guilt, wore pants to work, and carried macho leather briefcases filled with business plans and stock options. We flexed our corporate muscle and refused to be interrupted in the boardroom. We became warriors and could throw a verbal javelin worthy of any Olympic champion. It was a time of great triumph and boundless opportunity. Was it easy? No, it wasn’t.
But it was exhilarating and we fed at the trough of wealth giddy with the taste of power, spread our intellectual seeds and watched our worlds transform under lifted wings. There were no limits. We soared and our egos were fed with applause from our sisters and colleagues. We were free.

Years later, on this Sunday morning, I look back and ask, “Was it good? Was it worth it? Did it work? Am I happy with the way things went?”

Yes, a resounding yes. But what were the sacrifices? What did I lose along the way? And, what did I gain?

As we tip-toed through the strawberry fields of forever, something had to give. The sacrifice for many of us was time. We became slaves to the clock. There were never enough hours in the day. Time was measured in the number of meetings we could schedule in a day. It was lost in airports, spent in taxicabs, squandered in rush hour and crowded parking garages. We rode in elevators, sat at desks, hired someone else to type for us, and quit the steno pool and time slipped away. We jostled and jockeyed and raced to finish line after finish line…and we won!

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Article Author: Cirina Catania

Cirina Catania is a writer, director, journalist and former marketing executive with a long history of success in both the major studio and independent film environment. She is one of the co-founders and former director of the Sundance Film Festival. …

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