Play
“A child
who does not play is not a child, but the man who does not play has
lost forever the child who lived in him and who he will miss
terribly.”
Pablo
Neruda
Play is inherent to
mammals—this we know from watching hours and hours of National
Geographic documentaries about every critter from the great apes to
prairie dogs. The internet is replete with crazy cat videos, baby
goats leaping and hopping, and even cows jumping for joy. University
of Tennessee expert on animal behavior, Dr. Gordon Burghardt, defines
play as “behavior that doesn't seem to have a survival purpose, is
rewarding in and of itself, and is performed when an animal is fully
fed and stress free.” In children, and in social animals, play is
also purposeful. It teaches us how to play by the rules, helps us
develop skills we will need as adults, creates social bonds and
instills the social norms for any given culture.
But play is not the sole
province of mammals; it can also be seen in some of the large-brained
bird populations such as crows and hawks. Soft-shelled turtles have
been observed playing, as have Komodo dragons, and even octopuses and
wasps. In other words, play is a natural and normal part of being
creaturely. That being said, some of us have forgotten how to play—we
sometimes think that getting inebriated and making a spectacle of
ourselves is “just how we roll.” I've been known to do that, I
must confess, particularly in my younger days, but I've found the
consequences to be less than fun in aftermath. Play is more essential
than that.
Play is individually
defined. What is play for me, may not be play for you, and vice
versa. I have a middle-aged-adult friend, for instance, who still maintains a
relationship with her teddy bears. She moves them around, puts them
into little scenarios such as having tea, or reading a book; they
have conversations, while she paints beautiful watercolors of them. When I was growing up, my sister, Jerrie, loved to
play with dolls, dress them up in Mother's scarves, and make up games
for them. I hated that—it was torture, not play, for me. I loved
climbing trees, playing Army games, damming up the creek, turning
over rocks to see what sort of bugs lived under them. As adults, introverts tend
toward solitary play, while extroverts prefer group games. The main thing
is this: Do not stop playing—even when you're old. Play that expresses
the inner child is what keeps us alive in the truest sense, and it keeps our hearts connected to our playmates.
The upcoming holidays
provide a great opportunity for play. Whatever you find fun and
amusing (short of making a spectacle of yourself), I hope you will let that inner child of yours out for a
romp.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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