Brené Brown says that play is an important aspect of living a wholehearted life. Rather than define the exact nature of play, she describes certain aspects of it. Two really big honking ones are:
- Time spent without purpose.
- Time you lose track of, or, more succinctly, time you don't want to end.
I definitely have some things like that.
I love playing games. (Word games, trivia games, video games, board games, dirty-kinky games, all great.). Sometimes, if the person I'm gaming with is the right sort, I enjoy a friendly rivalry with them, too. (I've had a lifelong one with my aunt, in Scrabble.)
I love reading fiction, including comic books and graphic novels. I love movies and cartoons too.
I forget it sometimes, but I love exercise. I love a good long walk, or run, love to swim, to scuba dive, to ski. I love to just explore. I think it's really, really neat to get in my car, pick some random place I haven't been before, and just go check it out.
I love to tell stories.
I love to hear someone else tell them.
I love to laugh. I love stand-up comedy.
I love to listen to music. While I'm not a fan of big crowds, I love concerts. And if the venue is right, I'm good.
I love to make things. That's why I love to cook, especially with our girl Kate, who is a brilliant cook. I love things like paint-your-own-pottery places, too.
Even programming/coding and writing can be play for me, depending upon the spirit with which I approach them.
How do you play?