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PHIL'S PHILOSOPHY By: D.P Kinkade Contributions by: Taylor & Drake Kinkade

RIGHT TO PLAY - My children, especially before going with dad became something undignified for popularity, would often inquire about my intentions if they noticed me apparently getting ready to venture out away from home. They wanted to ensure their inclusion, if I was going anywhere they deemed interesting and when they were very young this could include even mundane tasks such as going to a convenience store or a fast-food joint, to pick up a snack.

I hardly ever turned down one of their requests to come along, I always considered it a privilege to be joined by one or both of my children when going out, in fact in times past you would hardly ever see me alone as we went most places together, even today, my family usually accompanies me on most excursions.

I do have a bit of a sarcastic sense of humor though and I would not always give them a straight-forward answer when they asked me about my intentions in preparing to go outdoors. I would sometimes reply with such remarks as “ going to find some little kids and challenge them to a prize-fighting match, we're short on cash this week; know where I might find some?”or “ going to a butt kicking contest, want to volunteer to carry the equipment?” Of course it did not take them long figuring out that I was not serious, so their answer would most always be “sure, I want to come too!”

You see, agreeing to something because you know the person is using words in jest and play is one thing, agreeing to something because someone has intentionally manipulated language to make something appear benevolent which actually is completely the opposite, is quite another matter.

Imagine a scenario where one of your passions was ensuring that children always had liberal use of play in their everyday lives. Your own children would probably be quite proud of you as you endeavored in such pursuits. They might even be willing to join you in promoting such a worthwhile cause. What if they discovered that your idea of play consisted of wagers being placed on them outrunning wild beasts in pursuit of them and earning outrageous profits in such a fashion, their “right to play” does not really seem an admirable or even honorable pursuit now, does it?

Hardly anyone would want to join such a cause as I just described. One which disregards the intrinsic worth of a human soul or their right to lack of peril or brushes away the notion of dignity and value in anything other than the pursuit of material gain, but if I put the spin on it with something so noble sounding as “the right to play,” without really divulging what that involves, then I might have several well-intentioned folk joining my cause.

Actually one of my passions is ensuring the liberal use of play, not only in the lives of children but in all of our lives, from cradle to grave. I have heard a lot of remarks along my path that I consider, well let's just say, lacking intelligent forethought. I'll share just a couple of them with you readers. I once heard a young man claim that he thought “you can probably enjoy just about any career, as long as it paid enough!” I just find that line of reasoning to be particularly misguided. Another remark which I feel is way off the mark is “ It's not supposed to be fun; that's why they call it, work!”

Along this line of reasoning is the notion that work is only and always serious and play is always frivolous and indulgent so the two can never meet. To me it is right in the same category as “learning is not supposed to be fun, it is just something you have to do!” All these statements are pure malarkey in my estimation and have no solid foundation when really examined and inspected.

Of course there is tons of research, done by some of the brightest minds among us, which confirm that learning is not only supposed to be fun but that very little long term learning is done apart from play. Believe or not but it is not just -a- responsibility of those who take on the mantle of educator to make learning fun but it is -The- prime obligation, to ensure that it is.

Perhaps the problem lies in our common understanding and definition of the word-play. Most of us have divorced play and seriousness from their rightful marriage to each other. Play is about finding joy and exuberance in your activity, it is about keeping a sense of wonder, it is staying childlike in enthusiasm, not intelligence.

When we actively search for these things in work, learning , relationships, whatever; it brings purpose and fulfillment into our lives. Life becomes a proposition where “I want to go too!” Don't twist life into being something opposite from what it was intended to be.

 

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