We were off! The whole world was out there. I reaching for it, the world reaching for me—ecstasy—the ravishing thrill.


I had a new dignity to uphold. People everywhere would be watching; one had to be a capable young woman—no longer the school girl. I was participating in a hazardous exploit, risking life and limb…. Remember: posture, bravery, humilité, and the Family Motto: `To Per-se-vere.’