Playtime

Playtime for me always happens during jiu jitsu, but lately I’ve been seeing how I can incorporate tinges of play in other areas of my life. Play is done without a specific prpose yet it has a lot of diffrent benefits, like reminding yourself not to take things too seriously and to discover new things without a rigid structure.

Play is not considered a waste of time. It can be a way to immerse yourself in a different world without needing to change much objectively. For this, I’m thinking of video games, especially those that have involved storylines and ecosystems. When you play these games, you become the characters in these games, almost like you’re writing the novel as you’re reading it. That type of possibility is only present in play.

I think that as I consider more and more what play will evolve and look like in future years, it will probably be very different from what it is now. The more that I engage in play, the less I’ll be needing to step back and think to myself, “Gee, I’m playing!” I suspect that having fun will be less effortful and more natural. Whatever the form of play looks like on the outside, though, on the inside, I hope that it will bring me a greater sense of awareness and presence of mind.

Play is a privilege, and one that I don’t take lightly. Not everyone gets the chance to play, and not everyone is shown what appropriate play is. So, the fact that I do have interests that are fun, and that I’m naturally drawn to, shows me that I am in a fortunate position to play.