21: Play

21

Play

Hannah and Evan, August 2011. Eisenstadt, Austria

  

  *Adult versions 1. (verb) To perform or act [like something you are not]. 2. (verb) To pretend to be; mimic 3. (verb) To behave carelessly or indifferently. 4. (verb) To compete against 5.(verb). To occupy or work at. 6.(verb) To attempt to gain possession or control of. 7. (verb) To bet. 8. (verb) To perform jest or deception. 9. (verb) To use or manipulate. 10. (verb) To exhaust.

I wanted to write about the playfulness that is so keen at Christmas. It seems it is the one time of year where people of all ages are encouraged to be fully exuberant and make magic. However, the myriad of definitions demanded some grave attention. Turns out, play is a schizophrenic word to most adults. According to Edward O. Wilson (a personal hero!), "no behavior has proved more ill-defined, elusive, controversial and even unfashionable than play."

If you want to be shocked try looking up the definition of it on several sites. It seems like the ways we casually bastardize this word is insulting and a direct affront to children, who still occasionally embody it's more noble definitions. We play along with deceptions, play cat and mouse, play war, play up or down our assets and imperfections, play upon fears. We play fast and loose. We play hard to get. We play games. We play time. We play with ourselves. 

Is it any wonder then, that when we are playing our hand, playing house, playing dress up, playing the field, or playing with fire that we end up played out?

These are exactly the kinds of play the media wants to deceive us with. These are the lies of Christmas we must play around.  Hopefully we can do so and instead truly play like children.

    *children's versions 1. (verb) To occupy oneself in amusement and delight. 2. (verb) To take part in the production 3. (verb) To move quickly and lightly 4. (verb) To move freely within a space 5. (verb) To have fun. 6. (verb) To do something undirected, spontaneous, or random 7. (verb) To act the part or character in real life.

This was something my father-in-law excelled at. And on my better days, so do I. And yes darlings, this is what we do when you are not looking...