Child At Play

The first work-period's part-time staffers arrived today. I, for a short part of the day, was a Buddy - which just means I carted a few newbies to their respective tent sites, helped them get settled, and pointed them in the right direction(s).

After dinner, there was a "session" called NEW GAMES. I thought it was going to just be a game night - sort of like Bingo or board games or whatever - so we could meet and bond with the new staffers. But instead it was all about PLAY. Fun, child-like play. The kind none of us do past the age of, say, 12. (That's so unfortunate and sad, really.)

So we basically goofed off in a guided but fun way, we did funny improvs in groups or in a circle, we talked in jibberish, we did the wave, etc. And it was so fun! I was sweating and laughing the whole way through. The kind of laughing that you don't even realize you're doing until you're trying to breathe but you're really laughing instead... The kind of laughter that you see in children when they're running around in circles chasing each other and for whatever reason they're laughing their heads off the whole time. That's what it was like.

And when the class was over, many of us stayed behind with 3 cheapo beach-balls - just kicking and passing and hitting and spiking the beach balls. A couple people were pulling totally ballet-like maneuvers, like a partial split in the air with an ending flick of their foot just in time to hit the descending ball. It was silly and fun and laughter-making.

We should all do this more often! If I could PLAY like that more often, and not feel silly or judged or weird, like how it was tonight, I'd never need to go to a gym. But I'd be seriously happy AND fit.

I just wish there were more outlets for ADULTS to PLAY like that.

I think that's why I always loved so much the birthday parties we've had for my neice(s) and nephew(s) at Pump It Up. When I've gone to those kiddy birthday parties, I turn into a small child, running up the ladders, whizzing down the slides, running around in circles, breathlessly giggling.

I really wish someone would open up an adult-oriented place like that - a place for grown-ups to go and get their inner child running around and laughing!

For more information on this practice of PLAY--in particular the theory/philosophy of Original Play--go to www.originalplay.com. Also, to see what Omega has to say about PLAY, go to OI's website.

Anyway, having the new staffers here on campus has yet again changed the dynamic here. Yet MORE people are on campus, but it's a new energy. Also what's different is that I'm now sort of a "veteran" or at least I'm no longer a "newby". And that's a great feeling, I must say.