I played today.
I swung on a swing, attempted to flip on bars and scurried across monkey bars. I felt like a giant in the process, and I forgot how much monkey bars rip the skin off your palms… but it was fun. I was alone in a small little playground and I played.
When’s the last time you did that?
 |
| this guy was one of my favorites back in the day… |
I was there for less than 15 minutes and while I eyeballed the other pieces of plastic playground equipment (they don’t make ’em like they used to), I was sure that I was definitely more likely to break them than enjoy them, especially without a partner in crime. Remember when playgrounds used to occupy our attention for hours upon hours? Remember how, when it was time to leave, we still begged for one more time on the slide or one more dash through the tunnels?
Today reminded me of another day in college where I had driven out to a big lake/park outside town to have some alone time. There was a playground there. I remember needing to get away from the stresses of college life…tests, papers, relationships, extracurricular obligations and just take a time-out. I didn’t expect to play, although it’s exactly what I ended up doing.
It feels a bit ridiculous to play when you’re an adult. Especially when you’re by yourself.
But sometimes I think it’s necessary.
I think it’s good for us to remember what it’s like to be a kid.
There’s a shamelessness to it.
There’s a joy to it.
There’s a hope.
There’s a peace in letting go and just letting yourself play. Letting yourself enjoy the moment without getting too caught up in the millions of other things that are on your mind, the thousands of things that you have yet to do. And there’s a freedom that comes in not caring what anyone else thinks when you do decide to play.
If you’re ever alone and you come across a swing set or a playground and you feel the gentle prodding of, Play…I hope you do it. I hope you play. Embrace your inner kid. Maybe that doesn’t mean playing in a playground, but maybe it could mean coloring in a coloring book, painting with finger paint, building a fort, singing made-up lyrics at the top of your lungs, dancing like a fool (I’m quite sure I gave myself whiplash once from head-banging to some rocker music alone in my room…and I wasn’t a teenager).
I hope you breathe in the simplicity of it.
I hope, as you play, you remember the hope that you have…that you would remember what you find true joy in. That as you play, you allow the complexities of life to fade away, even if only for a moment, and you seize the fullness of the sincere and uncomplicated faith of a child.
It may just be a day-changer for you. It may just put a lot of things into perspective for you.
So, what are you waiting for..?
Play.