Nighean gheal and I had an interesting conversation on the drive up to The Ranch yesterday. It started by her asking why older girls didn't play with toys so much. I responded that I wasn't sure, but it was not as if they didn't play - they played sports, which was a form of game. She agreed, then asked why grownups didn't play and why some got serious and boring when they grew up.
I didn't have a really good answer to that - and I don't know that I do.
Why do we not play as adults? Why are we - let's be specific, I - so much like what my daughter points out, serious and boring?
I could make the argument that one has to be serious and "boring" as an adult, because of the responsibilities that one must undertake. But do responsibilities means a lack of fun and play?
I suppose I could also point out that I have "lost" that point of view as a result of life - but again, much of that loss was by my own choice. I craved to be thought of as an "adult" without thinking as to what all that entailed.
Christ Himself encouraged us to be "Wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:17), and Pauls himself notes we are to use the time we are provided with wisely (Ephesians 5:15; Colossians 4:5). But wisdom is not the same as serious, and innocence in no was implies boring.
For those who say, "Well, if we were are all playful and not serious, what shape would the world be in?", the answer (not original to myself) is "What shape is the world in now?"
Is play, fun, and a zest for living in opposition to serious and responsible? Or is this a construct of my own mind? Perhaps the place to start is to determine what we take seriously, and why - or what will truly matter five years hence, ten years hence - indeed, eternity hence - and what is merely paper mache, which will have no impact beyond that of making us feel important rather than being of import.
Christ also said “blessed are the children” for they approached him with true sincerity and open minds. I’m no fan of sports, but I certainly play. The toys simply got a bit larger and more complicated. I love trying new hobbies, new games, and new imaginary stories, either some author’s or my own. Music brings me great enjoyment, feeling the grain of wood in my hands, smelling grass, looking at a star. More importantly, like a child, I derive great enjoyment in sharing these things with others. It never gets old despite how many times I have been told to grow up by boring people.
ReplyDeleteNow that I am adult, I can add the more complicated games of contemplating life and meaning, exploring relationships, and reveling in the parts of creation that I could never have understood as a child. If anything, I would say I play even more than I did as a child, and that I am even happier about it now.
I never shirk my responsibilities, but I hope I never get so serious about them that I forget play time. To what greater end are bills and meetings and regret? Clearly, they are far less important than cultivating personal contentment with all that one is given, growing in the knowledge that we have been given great things, and to sharing our personal joy with others. Even bad things are incredible learning experiences and should be savored. Fulfill the responsibilities, but remember that as children we were told to make games out of chores.
In the end, what can we accomplish? Any mark we leave on the world will fade. But if we endeavor to be as children, by being true to ourselves and content, we leave an indelible mark on ourselves and those who will follow us when we are gone. She’ll learn from the fact that dad always paid the bills, but she’ll grow in her own happiness by seeing him excited about books and singing and playing with her on the floor, and playing with toys like bees and swords.
Losing those thoughts, I think, is due less to a chosen desire to grow up and more to the entanglements of daily life. Play, by its very nature, is fleetingly ephemeral. It is built on ever-changing emotions and shadows of reality. It is easy to forget to be happy. Choosing to be happy, and the strength it takes to follow through with that choice in the face of oppression, personal and societal, can, however, bring it right back. If I surmise correctly, you have a great capacity for playful happiness that you should never forget.
Now, please excuse me while I fantasize about a revolution.
Thanks. I can neither add to nor improve your comments. I suppose I do play - although I don't always think of it as such. As has been said by folks much wiser than me, Happiness is a choice. I just have to remember to choose more often...
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