Playfulness and the Health of the Herd

I wrote a new introduction for a webpage called "Journeys on the Playful Path." I liked it so much it actually made me happy. It's not funny or anything, but it captures some essential connection I've been making between playfulness and health and the human experience. So, at least you can understand why I'm quoting myself at such length:

"Playfulness is one of the signs scientists look for when trying to determine the health of a herd of animals. The healthier the animals and the safer the herd, the more they play.

"The same is true of the human herd. Especially herds of children. As long as the kids are healthy and feeling safe, left to their own resources, play is the thing they do.

"Adults of the herd play less, at least observably, because for the most part they are not as healthy and definitely not as safe as they were when they were children.

"Adult human beings are different than the adults of any other species I can think of, in that they can choose to be playful, even when they don't feel safe or particularly good."

And when they are being playful, they tend to feel healthier, safer, almost like they did when they were kids, and maybe even better. And even though they are fully conscious adults and even though they can't ignore the danger, the consequences, the very real lack of safety that is threatening their entire health forever, they can choose to be playful, they can even choose to be playful with their own personal safety. And, simply by playing again, reclaim their health, their well-being, the energy of their youth.