Someone once said the opposite of play is not work: it’s depression.
Play: a creative way to become un-balled up (my definition).
To become un-self-conscious. Un-clutched. Un-moored & “in” the shining moment (no matter how grim).
Children break the ice: bring them into the boardroom &all the execs relax. Play is Non-Result-Seeking and un-important? & children abandon themselves fully to it.
I can count on abandoning myself fully when I babysit my friend’s children (healthy prescription for a retired older woman: once/week). They teach me lightness, how to have fun fun fun…til’ your Daddy took the T-bird away?
Girls just wanna have fun? I know this from experience. You’re only alive until you’re not, right? On the limousine ride to my father’s grave, my brothers cracked jokes. Lots of them (about our dad’s frequent/silly/stupid puns). we laughed &the load was lightened.
I tell myself: before the wind is sucked out of me, Have Fun. While the wind is being sucked out of me, I tell myself: play with the children to feel happy and alive!
Someone else once said: to advance humanity, we need to be playful and immature, NOT sober and cautious, so I figure you’re not really wasting time, if you’re having fun wasting it, right?
I tell myself: Let us be grateful to people (especially children) in our lives, who make us happy & encourage our hardened souls to bloom. They don’t really do this with, or, on purpose. They’re freely leaving their “selves” behind on the doorstep & simply having fun.
Monica, it's so true that children are readily capable of bringing fun and releasing tension and I've become an apprentice of my own children in this regard. I guess that many people (including me) take life too seriously nowadays. We are overloaded by duties, responsibilities and all the possibilities we have and there is often little space left for fun. That's bad. Thank you for reminding me how much fun is important and uplifting. 🙂
Agreed, Petra. Now that I'm retired, I have more time to focus on other activities, and that equates to having the kids over for movie night or an art activity. Or just giving mom a few hours of shopping time. As soon as they burst through the door (and they do burst!), our energy level goes up!
There aren't any little ones in my life so I have to settle for the antics of my dogs, who are full of energy and playfulness too.
Oh, and your horses. I've been riding a bit this fall and enjoying it, until our cold snap…zero degrees and below makes a huge difference in getting myself out there on the trails.
Very thought-provoking first lines . . . and totally delightful photos that say it all.
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Thank you, Deborah, for taking a look; appreciate your thoughts!
In that shining moment, no matter how grim. Yes! I am with you, Monica! And enjoying your words and photos and the sense of fun peeking out in between.
Fun…let me count the ways! Livens my energy level and lifts up my day…music does the same thing. Thanks for taking a peek, Kathy.