Add a Little PLAY to Your Life!
Yesterday in my writing clinic we wrote and talked about “play.”
It was fun to share memories of playtimes as kids, as teens, and now as older adults.
One of the most popular was hopscotch, using colored chalk on the sidewalk near our homes. Roller skating and pick-up sticks and reading Archie comics followed. As adults some of us were reluctant to admit that we’ve lost touch with that part of ourselves.
So we started talking about what we can do now whether we are confined to a wheelchair or just too tired to make the effort. But I’ve decided that it’s not too late for me. I’m continuing to line dance, color pages for the holidays, participate in Wii bowling, corn hole, and listen to some great music everyday.
What do you do to entertain yourself? What were some of your favorite ways to play when you were a child or teen? Can you resurrect some of those or start something that will give you a fresh look at life–your life?
Let’s share and in doing so we might inspire each other. Here’s to more play in our lives.
“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing.” -Charles Schaefer
Hi Karen! love that you are still line dancing. I am still golfing albeit only nine holes now. I loved tap dancing—still have my tap shoes. and rollerskating. I loved Archie comic books too…always collected the double bubblegum comics that came with the gum. love, Heidi
It is such fun to hear you are playing too. I miss you and TLC but I’m keeping. in touch with the daily devos.
Hi Karen,
As a child I loved to play Chinese hopscotch, pick up sticks, pole vaulting into the air with bamboo poles, playing basketball, painting, doing crafts, running in the woods and climbing up trees, checkers, marbles, stamp collecting with my brother and quartz crystal collecting. Also, we’d start a camp fire and roast marshmallows on a stick or make smores. We also roasted hot dogs. Also, I loved to ice skate on the lagoon in Gary, Indiana and enjoy drinking hot chocolate.
Today I am working on having fun. Dancing with an online group was fun for me and I think I’ll join tomorrow. I love to take walks outside. I’m working on doing something I love every day.
Good for you, Sandy. I really enjoyed reading all the things you did and are still doing. Keep at it.
I loved board games! I continue to play board games with my grandchildren- we always end up having a hearty belly laugh! I also loved putting on plays that my friends and I came up with- I do that with my grandchildren now too! Play is very important! I would love to roller skate again but there is no rollerskating arena here in Canada.
Angela. thanks for sharing what you did and still do to keep play alive in your life. I too, enjoyed roller skating and making up plays in our backyard.
Well, you didn’t mention “Jacks”! That was one of my favorite games as a preteen. Reading was also my great love. Skating and biking were my “sports. I was not a group sports player. I was smaller than most in my class because I was a year younger than many. Henry W. Longfellow was my “patron saint” of poets and I memorized a lot of his works. Some I still remember.
These days I keep busy visiting shut-ins and walking in the forest.
I am so glad that you have so many activities there and people who love you. God bless you, Karen!!
Hi Etta Mae. I did forget to mention ‘jacks.’ That too, was a favorite in my young years. Your life sounds very fulfilling as is mine.