Play

I was reading my latest issue of Cooking Light today and ran across an article in it about play and how important it is to make time for play in your life. That doesn't necessarily mean what we traditionally think of as play, which can sometimes become synonymous with exercise, it means something you become immersed in so that you aren't thinking about the bills or your weight or how much laundry you have piled up. It can involve physical activity but it doesn't have to. Reading and creative activities were given as examples of play along with joining a soccer team.

If you don't currently have a lot of play time in your life and aren't sure of what to do the author suggests thinking back to your childhood and remembering the things you did for enjoyment then. The mention of reading as a form of play resonates with me. I love getting lost in a good book, like the Hunger Games series I read a week or so ago, just as much now as when I was a child. I was the kid you'd find walking down the hall with my nose it a book, navigating my way on auto pilot. I remember my mom reading to me, too. I don't remember many of the specific books she read other than The Poky Little Puppy and The Little Prince, but I'm sure there were many more.

When I was a teenager I played Dungeons and Dragons with some kids in the neighborhood. I don't play role playing games anymore (like DH and The Eldest) but I still like games that get you thinking. I make time for my "brain exercises" almost every morning right after I eat breakfast, which is really just an excuse to play a few computer games. (As in "shhh, don't bug me right now, I'm in the middle of my brain exercises.") I usually start with a lightening game of Sudoku followed by a Jigzone puzzle, then maybe a round each of Guess the Colors and Freecell. Lately I've been working on brushing up on my US geography on Cram Web so I'll finish up with that. Before I get to my brain exercises I'll see if there's anything new to read on the blogs I follow while I eat my oatmeal. I love new posts from my favorite writers!

Writing and updating my blog is a form of play in the sense that it was described in the article. It's a creative endeavor, and while I'm writing I'm usually pretty absorbed in it. I don't have a huge audience of followers/readers for my blog, but that's OK. I'm writing for the enjoyment of putting words on paper (or rather on the computer screen). I throw the words out there, and if I get a comment or two along the way I am thrilled, since I love it when other people come and play with me!