My Connections to Play

“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything, than when we are at play.”
― Charles Schaefer 


"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." 
-Plato

“Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing.”
―Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

I first two quotes I can relate to my childhood, and the third I found reflected my sense of self now.  
 

My brother and I would spend hours riding our bikes around town all year long.  It was essential to my youth.  I even remember getting up at 5 one morning to have a garage sale to sell my old bike so that I could get a new one. 

No matter where I spent my time, I was always doing some sort of art project.  I do believe this was the exact set that I had. 

I loved playing monopoly with my grandma during the summer.  It also came in handy because we did not have T.V. in my house for most of my childhood. 





Growing up in a time where we had neighborhood block parties in Arizona I knew everyone in the neighborhood at a young age.  During the day my grandma always allowed us to go between friends house, and we played outside.  We created ramps to go over our bikes with and my brother and his friend built a race car.  Now it was just made out of plywood, but it was the best creation ever!  Two of us would push and one got to drive it up and down the street, and then we would rotate.  Along with riding our bikes, that was the best outdoor activity.  When my dad would get a couple days off from work, he would take us camping.  He taught us how to read animal tracks, and how to pay attention to the world around us.
Now out at my mom's house we always had a huge yard.  So I spent a lot of time out in these old wooden structures, and would make them my "house".  If I wasn't out swimming, I was out in that house creating my own world. 
I do not think that play today is the same for everyone as it was 20 years ago.  Society has changed, children use to go outside without fear of kidnapping.  Now parents have a close watch on their children, and with housing growing so much there leaves little room for having backyards that I use to. 

I really enjoyed my childhood in regards to play.  I was always given the opportunity to create things.  That has affected me as an adult, because I tend to be an artistic person.  I love that during the summers I was able to travel to different places to see, and experience new things.  I was in a family that came from all walks of life, and each person in my family introduced me to something new.  It was a blessing!

Relationship Reflection

Even when we are children we seek out comfort from the people that we love.  For me it is the feeling of comfort to be around someone who enjoys me for me.  I have flaws,  I have learned life lessons and I have suffered heart ache.  But it is the people that stick with me throughout these situations that I hold dear to my heart.

My parents are some of those people.  They have witnessed me grow and change.  They suffered with me before I knew what suffering was.  Apparently I was not an easy infant, but the stories that they tell, just shows how much they loved me even when I was being difficult.  Now I have known for myself that I have been a difficult child from about 3 - 13.  As a child I did not like sock, shoes, clothes, following rules, naps, milk and following directions.  Most of the rule breaking happened when I was almost 2-4, but I do not remember most of that, so should it really count against me? Non the less my parents were advocates for me, and they still are, I treasure that everyday.

Now growing up I moved around a lot, and it was hard to keep consistent friends.  But I think that I have managed to gain a couple since my high school years, and there is one that has stuck around through all my trials in life too.  Ms. White was a friend in the youth group, who had a rotten living situation at home, but we bonded because we were both quiet people.  Through the years of moving around, she maintained contact.  It wasn't until my 20's that I started to appreciate the friendship that I had with her.  We are able to be completely honest with each other without the fear of judgment. We have both had our life experiences, and we share these situations to learn from each other. 

My grandmothers will always be the voice of reason in my ear.  I could go months without talking to them, and they will question everything and be completely honest with me, whether I like it or not.  Sure they care if it hurts me, but they rather be the ones to burst my bubble rather than someone else that is just going to make it hurt worse.

I have always appreciated my different family relations.  They have been hard to maintain.  The key to them all is communication.  I cannot be afraid to talk to any of them because of the outcome I think will follow.  But to have the courage to talk to them because we care about the same thing.  Without these relationships I would not have the confidence in myself that I have.  They are forever proud in what I am doing, no matter how hard I fall sometimes.  But I know that I can talk to anyone of these people and they will listen, and help me get through it.

I try to make this my example in my workplace.  I do not know everyone's story in their life, and it is not my place to judge.  But I can tell you that I will be there to listen, and I will help in anyway that I can.