Hobby Rediscovery
During the most stressful stages of my life, I’ve regularly been caught off guard by a small voice in my mind whispering this message: “Come play with me!” Deep down, a part of me seems to recognize something important: The need for play. As obvious as this sign should be, I tend to ignore it. When I’m deeply entrenched in play-free adult life–the worries, demands, expectations, and financial pressures–play is the last thing I have time to add to the agenda. But even if I silence the whisper, the voice reminds me what it felt like to be a kid. I see my neighbor friends at the door asking, “Can you come out and play?!?” In those days, mom often threw homework and chores out the window for a few hours and said, “Sure. Why not? Go play!”
Go play! We all need to hear and heed those words on a regular basis, no matter what our age. As we get older, play doesn’t come as naturally as it did when we were kids, but if you’re trying to add more play into your life, I love the idea of looking back to childhood to rediscover and reintroduce favorite forms of play from years gone by. We shelve and put away many activities as we grow up, but very often our hobbies and interests don’t change as much as we might think.
This week, I didn’t ignore the voice. Instead, I decided to reconnect with a childhood hobby I had always enjoyed. I dug my old tennis bag out of the back of a closet and headed to the park. I didn’t expect much of an impact, but when the courts came into view, I practically ran to meet them. I soon shifted from hitting tennis balls alone against the backboard, to reminiscing about past matches and practices, to reconnecting with friends and scheduling future tennis gatherings. It was great to get out and play!
Think back to an activity in your life that you really enjoyed as a child or early in life. Was it a sport? Call some buddies and organize a weekly game of pickup basketball in the park! Do you have fond memories of a weekly family game night? Invite some family members over for a favorite board game! Did you love traveling? Plan a Saturday getaway with a friend or set an itinerary and schedule a “tourist in your own town” day! Are your best memories around special food? Host a cooking gathering and eat together or have a potluck or picnic! Be creative! Have fun with it! Share the moments with friends!
“It is time for a return to childhood, to simplicity, to running and climbing and laughing in the sunshine, to experiencing happiness instead of being trained for a lifetime of pursuing happiness.” - L. R. Knost
Challenges/Points:
Whatever our age, we can benefit from play.
Think back on a favorite childhood game or activity and figure out a way to work it back into your life.
Try to schedule in a little time to play every day this week!
Questions:
Do you feel like you’re too busy with big responsibilities to squeeze play into your schedule?
What are some favorite memories or activities from your younger days?
How long has it been since you integrated any of those play-focused activities into your life?
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