Playing By Heart, Ch 1,2,3

In order to briefly summarize what was stated in "Playing By the Heart", I will state three key points from each of the chapters:

Ch.1
Children and adults have different perception of reality

Mystic contact with the earth is available all around us. In other words, we can connect with the earth in varying ways.

Play brings us close to the substance of the universe.

Ch. 2
Play is intrinsic to creation, not something created by culture

Kindness from play transcends "sociocultural motivations" and deals with life

Our existence is embedded in the universe, and play brings us closer to that

Ch. 3
Play is not forced, it is in the nature of things just like gravity

Adults cannot be taught to play, but they can be untaught their nature in order more effectively absorb the play of kids

Play emphasizes the community of "we" or "you and I"

As expected, this article brought about emotions of joy and happiness in me. I love play, and it is refreshing to hear about the positive things that come from it. What was most surprising was the intrinsic nature of play. It came as a surprise to me that play was not be created by modern or past cultures, play has been embedded in the earth since its inception. Thus, it is natural for us to play and unnatural for us to behave in a way that condemns or stunts play. Accordingly, I was overjoyed to heart that my tendency towards play is a positive and sustainable thing.

The connection I see with this article and other class activities, is the time where we played in class. It was a magical day in my college career, and I will never forget that hour and fifteen minutes of pure joy I felt. What we experience is really backed up by the information found in this article. Although the 16 of us aren't necessarily best friends or used to socializing with each other, we were able to interact in a play setting without a single hitch. It was as if we had all grown up together and played on the playground in a group everyday since we were five. This proved to me that play is not cultural, but natural. That it is intrinsic with life.

What I will take from this is a greater desire to play. That doesn't necessarily mean that I will gather friends for red rover ever chance I get, but it does mean that I will seize every opportunity I can to play. Here's a great example. Ever since I was a young child I have loved swimming pools. Something about them makes me feel free, weightless, and unstoppable. I never really understand why I felt so at home swimming for leisure, but I now understand that this tendency is closely ingrained with my intrinsic desire to play. So, instead of shying away from my affinity from pools as a I grow old, I intend to embrace this watery infatuation by playing in and under the water every chance I get.

Questions:

If play is so natural, what brings us away from it as we get older? And when does the decline begin?

Are there ways that adults play that kids don't? Like are poker nights play?