[lightworker888]

Reminds me of the story I always told my kids when the "crowd" wanted to go one way and it didn't feel right. It was about how the lemmings follow the crowd and run over the cliff in droves to their death. The visual always reminds me of mobs of kids who don't know where the road is going and blindly follow the apparent leaders.

It must have made some impression as my youngest daughter at 7 or 8 went to a birthday party where the film Halloween was being shown and she asked to be excused and went to play with the toys instead and only one other little girl joined her. They are so impressionable at that age and why any parent would show that film at a party is beyond me so I was very pleased that she opted out!

Needless to say she has grown to be a free thinker and we have an agreement that I can say what I want, and she doesn't need to follow to any of it unless it resonates with her. I had to set it up like that when she was in her 20's as she told me that when I offered suggestions, she had a hard time figuring out if she was just "doing what she was told" or following her own feelings. I didn't want to not share so I let go of any attachment to any of the ideas being taken up by her. Over the years it has been interesting to notice what she has chosen to follow and as she gets older with kids of her own, she is asking about stuff more so it feels like some of the stuff stuck with her and that feels good.

LW888