Taking Time to Play

I was sitting in the park yesterday, since it was such a beautiful, warm day, and I enjoyed watching the local children playing.  As I sat on my park bench, with cup of coffee in hand, a stray yellow whiffle ball rolled up next to me.  Right behind it came a 4 year old boy, bouncing with delight, in an effort to retrieve it.  He smiled at me and exclaimed, "watch" as he picked up the ball and awkwardly flung it as far as he could, across the grassy field, in the opposite direction.  As he chased after it, he was all smiles and giggles.

I glanced out, and began to notice the other children and a few dogs playing.  They were playing in the sand, on swings, riding bikes, running, jumping, falling, laughing, squeaking, screaming, and above all, enjoying themselves.  Not a care in the world.  They were just playing!

I tried to remember the carefree days of my own youth. I can still remember backyard football games, neighborhood scrambles of "kick the can" on warm summer nights, or just plain goofing off with buddies.  I can still faintly remember the sound of the doorbell ringing and my mother answering the door to the sound of a friend asking, "Can Randy come out to play"? Ahhh, where along the way did we lose site of the value and freedom of play"?

Granted, I have friends who routinely go to the gym to keep in shape.  That is not play.   That's exercise.   Other friends shuttle their kids back and forth to athletic practice and sporting events, and even stay to watch occasionally.  That is not play.   They sound exhausted just telling me about it.

I also have friends who watch sports on TV and even participate in fantasy leagues.  That is also not the type of play I am referring to.

I am talking about total relaxation and enjoyment from an activity that lets you block out all thoughts of work, stress, obligations, etc.  Something that is so personally fulfilling, your endorphins kick in, and as you fully immerse yourself, you leave all of your cares behind.  

On close examination, the closest I get to "playing" is when I join my buddies for bowling or  a game of golf.  I know it seems a little dorky and perhaps a little "out of the 70s", but I really enjoy bowling.  It is a strange sport.  Where else are multi-colored clown shoes and tight fitting polyester shirts in vogue?

I also like to pull out the clubs and and get in a round of 18 holes.  I don't even need to have a great game to have a great time.  A couple of great shots, a few pars, warm sun, beautiful course, cold beer, and good conversation with my buddies, and that is all I need.

The point is to indulge your passion and put every thing else aside while you are engaged.  Let the playtime work its magic and heal you.

The more I thought about the importance of reintegrating playtime into my routine, the more I wondered about which of my friends have been successful at making playtime a part of their life.  A quick review revealed a clear standout.  Are there others out there???

I have a friend, Hollywood producer, Dana Brunetti, who really enjoys his cars, and he takes time to share his passion with the rest of us via his facebook account and twitter.  This is a guy who works in one of the most difficult, "mind f-ing" industries in the world.  The film industry is one of the few I have ever known where people are willing to work for free to "be noticed"or to be "creative", and it brings out all the crazies!

For Dana, I can only imagine how difficult his days are. In between a daily routine of multiple cups of Starbucks coffee, and googling himself (sorry Dana), he has to deal with  the endless troops of people who want his attention.  There are all the scripts, fans, agents, lawyers, studios, meetings, schedules, promotion, etc.  I would imagine he is exhausted by the end of the day.  The industry can easily chew up and spit out the most confident people, and yet Dana has emerged as a talented "Player".

Yet as grueling as his career most likely is, he has discovered a  sweet spot right in the center.  He always finds time to take his wheels out for a drive.  That is his "play".  He hits the road alone, and he travels in a pack with fellow enthusiasts.  One thing is clear.  He truly loves this and enjoys himself so much he shares it with the rest of us!

 Dana in his Ferrari 360 Spider

So this is a shout out to Dana. We can all probably learn a lesson from him about the balance between the pursuit of hard work and the satisfaction experienced from a suitable amount of unbridled leisure time.

So my hat is off to you!  Keep the photos and the trips well documented and posted, so that if we fail to find our own play time, we can at least enjoy yours.