But why should adults begin to play now? What does spending hours wasting time contribute to our happiness? For one thing, I can see from my own life that when I am “playing” my level of mindfulness is increased. This doesn’t happen when I am watching television and lounging back after a hard week with my brain turned off. I remember that as a five year old, I could go into the backyard, and given three hours, construct an epic to rival Homer’s Odyssey, complete with reversals, plot twists, change in point of view character, love stories, and the satisfying deaths of major characters, all without even breaking a sweat. Now it is like pulling teeth when I begin a screenplay, and I have to go through multiple iterations until I get it right, even though typically the answers it takes so long to come to are clear and obviously starring me in the face from the get-go.
As Robinson, Smith, Segal, and Shubin (2016) write, “Adult play is a time to forget about work and commitments, and to be social in an unstructured, creative way.” It is interesting that they chose the word “creative,” since creation is all about organizing preexisting things in new, unique forms. As Marah Eiken (2011) wrote, “If you love something, go make something someone else can love.” I think that applies even if that “someone else” is just ourselves. Another way of phrasing Eakin’s quote is, “when you really love something, you make more of it.” That is the meaning of creation. After all, “the opposite of play is death” (Compton & Hoffman, 2013, p.145). Play represents creation and life, while death, at its core, really means stagnation.
Erikson “contend[s] that the widespread absence of playfulness during adulthood stems from feelings of shame and guilt” (Compton & Hoffman, 2013, p.145). He also believes that in our current society the main thing we now suppress is our joy, something young children have no problem expressing.
One benefit of play is that through relaxed, unplanned activities we are able to learn, practice and discover new interests in a non-competitive way. How many brilliant artists are waiting in the wings in all fields, but think they are too old to contribute? Or too old to start now? You can make a fantastic debut feature film at 75. What’s stopping us? I submit that one reason is the shame and guilt many people experience for not following the road less travelled when they were younger. I think this also extends to a field like teaching. If increasing numbers of older people were willing to just play, they would discover new interests and avenues for their talents. And what if they find something they can become passionate about, such as giving back to society by teaching? Imagine if the successful Harvard MBA became a high school teacher after retirement, or the single mom who worked two jobs to support her kids through school suddenly had the time to get her teaching certificate. How could our society be transformed if more people young, and old, just played?
With more and more people reaching their 70s and beyond, it is vitally important for us to understand the ways in which the aging generation can be happy, fulfilled, and give back to the rising generations coming after them, and practicing playfulness is one of the easiest and most fun.
References
Compton, W.C., & Hoffman, E., (2013). Positive Psychology: The science of happiness and flourishing. Belmont, CA. Wadsworth.
Eakin, M., (2011). The adventures of Pete and Pete: A hard day’s Pete. The AV Club.
Retrieved at http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/the-adventures-of-pete-and-pete-hard-days-pete-60799
Robinson, L., & Smith, M., & Segal, J., & Shubin, J., (2016). The benefits of play for adults: How play benefits your relationships, job, bonding, and mood. HelpGuide.
Retrieved at http://www.helpguide.org/articles/emotional-health/benefits-of-play- for-adults.htm
