Rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people. (I think every book blogger I know has already been tagged with this one!)
I’ve been tagged by Fighting Windmills and Books on the Brain with the page 123 book meme. My teetering To-Be-Read pile had a copy of The Untethered Soul, by Micheal Singer in it and these are the sentences I found on page 123: You see that you’re too self-conscious to freely express yourself. You see that you have to stay on top of everything in order to be okay. Why?
Those lines got me thinking. A lot of people don’t care for Rosie O’Donnell. They say that she could do with a little less self expression, and I will give you that occasionally in her need to have her say she may have crossed a line that was hurtful or offensive to some people. On the other hand, I’ve sometimes envied her freedom to let it all hang out, to say “Hey, this is who I am and what I believe and I don’t care whether you like it or not!” Even in this land of the free and home of the brave most women are still raised to be good girls, and good girls are polite and helpful and taught to always put others first. While highly successful women who are outspoken and assertive are often portrayed in the media as being bitchy shrews. Politics aside, Hillary Clinton is an example of that right now. She’s either being slammed for being cold and overly aggressive, or for showing too much emotion. A girl just can’t win…or can she? The greatest gift we can give our daughters is the freedom to find their own voice, to believe that it is not only their right, but their obligation to express themselves and stand fearlessly in their own lives.
Oh yeah, the Rosie portrait up there, I did that with Mr. Picassohead!
bookbabie 
I applaud you Lilli because you HAVE given this gift to your own daughter Lizzi and she shines as an example of it everyday for me. And she manages to do it without hurting others. To be so free is a beautiful thing and I honor you for your part in that! The seed was planted and has sprouted. It will be great fun to witness the blossoming. And so it is!
Love the portrait. It captures her spirit. Thanks for playing.
Thanks Brenda, my little girl is a sweety and I hope I at least did that part right! As with most parents, there are things I’d do differently if I could go back, but I can’t, all I can do is keep moving forward and keep evolving as a parent:)
this is a cool movement from the tag to the ultimate end of writing about freedom!
Excellent points and fun portrait.
What a fun exercise. I wonder if all the random page 123, 3 sentences are as thought provoking as yours.
Love the portrait.
Well Jenny, I reckon if you picked up “Confessions of an Heiress” by Paris Hilton you might not get 3 sentences quite as thought provoking, then again…you never know:)
This looks like fun. And that Picassohead place is a hoot! Thanks!
Hi Lilli, I just dropped by to say thanks for the comment about my header. I love your works, your style is heavenly and fascinating.
You are right about Hillary, I completely agree with you.
I made one of Hilary…
http://www.mrpicassohead.com/canvas.html?id=762f148&skin=original
How fun Lisa, we should start our own Mr. Picassohead portrait gallery!
What a darling site you have! Thanks for the comment so I could find you! Loved your post on happiness…isn’t it weird how some days you just KNOW you radiate…and other days you just are. Wish I could bottle the ability to radiate! Stay warm!!
great post, I concur 100%. Unfortunately I think it’s terrible but true that women are their own worst enemy, judging and bitching and condemning strong women probably because they feel threatened . I have to admit I’ve done it myself until I realised that it was my own insecurity was the problem .