: A Lifetime of Pursuing One's Own Path

I could only understand it today. Really, it wasn't until today that I realized that many things can only be solved by time proving, many things can only be understood when looking back.

So. At the time when things happen, being angry or arguing makes no sense. The only thing we can do is just quietly wait, wait for time and years to bring out all the evidence.

However, twenty years ago, at my graduation art exhibition, I didn't know how to answer Alex's words.

Alex and we were in the same class. Although he wasn't an art major, because of his roommate, a male art major, he was close to us girls, and he often came to participate in our activities.

That day, he came to our graduation art exhibition, standing at the signature table, he said to us girls in a strange tone:

'You girls are just messing things up. You're taking up men's places for enrollment, for classes, and now you're desperately trying to take men's awards! It's simply unreasonable.',

Three or four of us girls were sitting behind the table, smiling as we handed him a pen to sign, but he didn't pay attention to our passed-over pens, and he shouted at us:

'Do you ask me? Do you know? How much use are these first and second place credentials to male students in the future? You're messing with things, aren't you? What are you girls trying to do by making yourselves like this? Are you trying to get married and have children as soon as you graduate and leave school? Would these awards be used as dowries?'

I got angry and slammed my pen down, stood up, and retorted him:

'Why is it useless? If we continue to paint in the future, of course it has a use! Male students will still get married, have families, and change careers in the future.'

Alex looked at me and burst out laughing. He shouted to the surrounding students:

'It's funny, it's funny! There has never been a prominent female painter in art history. She doesn't realize it.'

Twenty years ago, I was naive, so that day I argued with Alex fiercely. At that time, I couldn't understand that everything is not done alone or happens immediately; every phenomenon behind it has a hidden chain of events.

The era I lived in was the first time women could fully develop their abilities. Whether in the East or the West, after World War II, women's educational opportunities were almost completely equal to those of men.

Therefore, a woman could get the same opportunity to acquire knowledge as a man if she could seize the opportunity. If she could achieve good results in proportion to the effort she put in.

However, the society was not yet ready.

A society dominated by men was not yet ready, so someone considered that the electrification of the family led to the emergence of female workers or that the booming of magazines led to the emergence of female writers. These claims were repeatedly passed on and accepted, and people seemed satisfied for a while, but this was not the truth.

The truth is not like this. Before our generation, the most important thing for a woman was to marry and have children. Good girls were all prepared for their future marriages, and after marriage, the traditional definition of good wives and mothers was—to give up everything you like or dislike and decide your life based on the likes and dislikes of your family members.

So many women gave up their lives like this and thought it was the only way.

But on this road, we had many possibilities, much development, and much freedom. Our destiny was a destiny that previous generations of women couldn't imagine.

On this road, we didn't need to fight men for anything; we needed to walk forward with men together, observe, learn, and work hard to improve the world.

Today, I may not be a particularly outstanding painter and may not enter art history. But if women can understand their own destiny, grasp all learning opportunities, and know that besides being a daughter, a wife, and a mother, we can also do other things we want to do for ten years of our lives. Then, I believe that twenty years later, or even twenty years later, there will be many outstanding female painters who can enter art history. I believe so too.'

Of course, I can't produce any evidence now to support what I'm saying. But if Alex, who was twenty years ago, meets me today, I can smile and tell him:

'You see, Alex, twenty years have passed. I'm still painting, so I'm not trying to mess with you men. I have a family, but I haven't changed careers. So you should admit that women also have the right to paint as a career.'

Therefore, evidence needs a long wait. It also needs the cooperation of the whole society. Of course, it also needs the self-awareness of the individual.