Monday, September 23, 2002
Child's play vs. adult play
A correspondent writes: "But you have found the answer for adults ---you are basically helping them, through fun and play, to bring back the memories of what it is to be a child."
I respond:
...as adults, we have more to play with, more strengths, competencies, capacities. We're bigger. Stronger. Different than we were as children. So our play is different. And there are great benefits from recognizing, affirming and exploring that difference. I am not interested in getting adults to play as we played as children, because we
are not children, and we have other ways to play that are more relevant to us.
The spirit is the same. The flesh is different. And so is it's form and meaning.
Take a look, for example, at how we adults played the Panther Person Porcupine game. There was no fighting or tantrums or hurt feelings, no grabbing or accidental hurting. We were graceful, in control of our bodies, patient, subtle, reflective, funny, giving. Not that we played better than kids, not that kids can't be all those things, but that we played as adults. We were not innocent. But we were open to each other, compassionate, caring, enjoying our foolishness even while we knew better.
I respond:
...as adults, we have more to play with, more strengths, competencies, capacities. We're bigger. Stronger. Different than we were as children. So our play is different. And there are great benefits from recognizing, affirming and exploring that difference. I am not interested in getting adults to play as we played as children, because we
are not children, and we have other ways to play that are more relevant to us.
The spirit is the same. The flesh is different. And so is it's form and meaning.
Take a look, for example, at how we adults played the Panther Person Porcupine game. There was no fighting or tantrums or hurt feelings, no grabbing or accidental hurting. We were graceful, in control of our bodies, patient, subtle, reflective, funny, giving. Not that we played better than kids, not that kids can't be all those things, but that we played as adults. We were not innocent. But we were open to each other, compassionate, caring, enjoying our foolishness even while we knew better.
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