My Connections to Play

"The debt we owe to play of the imagination is incalculable."

-Carl Jung

"In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play."

-Friedrich Nietzsche 

I had to give my mom a call to review this, but as a 4 and 5 year old my essential play items included:

(Picture from underscoopfire.com)

(picture from amazon.com)

(picture from fy90s.tumblr.com . . . and if you don't recognize this, you will understand it's importance after watching Ghostbusters or Ghostbusters II)

When I was 4 or 5, if I had the space available to me, I was running around and shooting baskets on my Fisher-Price basketball hoop.  When my sister was home from school, we would dress up and play.  My costume of choice involved anything which allowed me to wear my Ghostbuster's Proton Pack.  I also loved playing with my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures, and I would save my allowance to purchase them whenever I could (but my mom would take the weapons and hide them in her drawer).  With parent and sister assistance, I set up scenarios and walked my action figures around without banging them against each other and fighting, perhaps because I didn't have the weapons to instigate that violence...  When space was limited or others were exhausted, it was often time for Pizza Party, a board game where my parents and sister helped me learn the importance of following rules and taking turns.  

I feel that due to a lack of available space due to decreases in vacant lots and parks, many children today do not have the same options for running around and staying physically active.  Today's fast paced lifestyle leaves many families on the run, unable to sit down and play games like Pizza Party together.  Additionally, advances in technology have created some serious coach potato habits in our youngsters, and playing the way I did as a child has shifted.  

To this day, I love to play.  I am happiest when I am playing.  Although the last time I busted out my action figures was when I was 4 or 5, I have figured out other ways to play as an adult.  My girlfriend and I snowboard, hike, and go to Disneyland.  I play soccer and basketball.  When my friends and I get together, we make a competition out of anything, and our time together becomes play time.  We are grown up, but I think that Nietzsche described this best when he said "In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play."

Reflecting on Building Relationships

The image above was taken at my sister's wedding a couple summers ago. When I look at this picture and think back to that day, I can't help but be appreciative of the relationships I have with my family members. I think about my grandparents and how they cared for my cousins and I when we were young. We loved spending time with them. I think about our relationship near the end of my grandmother's life, when it became our turn to care for her. As my grandfather battles Alzheimer's, those that he supported for most of his life now provide care for him. Relationships are like that. Sometimes others provide you with support, and at other times, you must be the one to support them. It's not about repaying favors, it's about giving some of yourself to someone else. To me, meaningful relationships are built on warmth, trust, support, empathy, and fun.    

The relationships that I had with my family members at an early age have assisted me in building and maintaining positive relationships with others throughout my life. I have a baby nephew (pictured with me above and to the right), and I have every intention of providing him with love and support throughout his life.  Above and to the left, my girlfriend of four years and I trust and support each other. We've built a partnership. We also like to have fun (that's us in the lower left corner of the picture trying to pose at the right moment on a ride at Disneyland). . . We take walks and take turns talking and listening to what is going on with one another professionally, how we're feeling in our relationship with each other, and how things are going with the other important relationships in our lives. The photo below was taken after a nice stroll on the beach. 

Relationships take work to build into partnerships, but can be long-lasting and meaningful if we put effort into building and maintaining them.