humans and games

I enjoyed this program on Krista Tippett's Speaking of Faith, in which she interviewed a doctor, Stuart Brown, now in the "work" of understanding the importance of playing and games, in what it means to be human. It turns out that play is engrained in us as humans; it's a part of our humanity and when we refuse to play something vital for us is lost or lacking. And lack of play means lacking in nearly everything else as a result.

The good news is that like Stuart Brown, a confessed life-long workaholic, play can easily be picked up, something he did around the age of 60, since it's actually a part of who we are.

The kind of play advocated generally involves the entire body in movement. It can be nearly any activity which brings enjoyment, from dancing to some rough and tumble play of boys to nearly anything which involves the imagination. Parents within parameters should let their children be involved in activities which may involve some risk. The danger of anything serious in such activities is minimal while the benefits can impact for good the whole of one's life.

I was glad to see that even reading can be included in such activities, though I realize that for myself there is a need here to be open to doing some other things, such as perhaps trying out some outdoor games such as golf or more of bicycling, maybe even a motorcycle. Something that can be fun. I was raised to believe that life is work, and though there was good in that, this program helped awaken me to the fact that the saying: "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," probably has alot of truth to it.

If you can podcast or listen to this on computer do so; it's worth the listen, say while you're doing household chores, etc. And listen to other programs of Speaking of Faith; I think you'll be surprised at just how much you can learn from other's perspectives.