Yes It Does!
First: thanks to all of you for your support and words of encouragement! because it Did get better!
Yesterday as I was heading home my front tire hit some kind of depression. (It was covered over by weeds on the very short dirt trail I use to reach the paved bike path.) Needless to say, my back tire went swinging out from under me and, as I was near the street, hit the curb and dropped. My First reaction was to unclip!!! I got my right foot unclipped and down and between my right foot and my left leg (still clipped in) I managed to hold the bike up! Please don't ask me how coz I have Not got a clue! Anyway - I didn't fall and I DID get my foot unclipped right away! Nothing and no one got hurt cept the chain jumped the chainring so I had to do a slight repair. So the answer to my own question is: yes - it Does get better!
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand, strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming: "Yeah Baby! What a Ride!"