Sunday, December 2, 2007

Why Play?

Nowadays, when I meet someone and they ask me what I do, I say, "I just play!". It always gets the best reactions, the most surprised looks...and the greatest comments. No one believes me! They will say, "no - really, what do you do?" and I repeat..."I just play!'

And then, someone asked me why.

Oh dear...I wish people would not ask me questions that make me think! It takes away so much of my play time! LOLOL! But I did ponder that question. And I'll ask you to do the same.

If you take a moment and think back to the happiest moments in your life, most likely, you will fall on some childhood moment when you were playing.

I remember summers on the farm, and Christmas.



Just look at that photo. We couldn't even sit still long enough for a photo! Well, ok...5 kids sitting still? But Colleen has blocks in her hands, April is playing with blocks. Elaine is getting up, I'm laughing at something and Nelson is on his horse. We had no concept of time. We had no problems, no worries. We really didn't know much about anything going on besides our family, our church and our school. We were happy.



Is it because when you play, the right side of your brain, the creative side takes over? I think it must be. Who looks at the clock when they are playing? Who looks out the window to see if the weather is changing? Who cares? If you are lost in your play, life is good, life is safe, life is happy.

I love this photo of Nelson going for the blocks. Look at his face. The blocks scattered on the floor are proof that he's knocked them over before...he knows what's going to happen, and he just can't wait to do it again!

That's what it's like when I play. I've done it before, and I know what's going to happen, and I just can't wait to do it again!



So give it some thought, think about it, why do you play? And if you answer that with "I don't play", then ask yourself the greater question, "why don't you?"

There are a million reasons in life today that take away from our time for ourselves. But I think if you want to be a well balanced person, to find some joy in this life, to be happy, then you need to play.

My answer to the question "why play?" Because 'I know what's going to happen and I just can't wait to do it again!'

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