I was recently talking to a pastor friend about his life and ministry and a very familiar subject came up. I asked him what he did for fun. He was silent. I then asked him if I was able to provide for him a completely unscheduled day with no responsibilities, what would he do with it. He finally said that he would probably read and listen to music. As we discussed it further, it became clear that he did not know how to play. I don’t do that very well either and I wonder why.
It raises the question of boundaries from a different perspective. How do we draw boundaries that give us permission to step across a boundary for a short period of time and simply engage in some refreshing joy?
For those of us who have learned the lesson of adulthood too well – that of being super-responsible, we have lost the art of engaging in purely pleasurable activities. Think back to your childhood and recall how you could spend hours simply playing. Maybe playing engaged your capacity to fantasize. Maybe it was engaging in some physical activity, not for the sake of better health but simply because it was fun. Maybe it involved engaging in the arts for aesthetic pleasure. Whatever it was, I would suggest that it helped separate you from being productive and allowed you to just be for awhile.
Some people have found that in a hobby. I know of someone who casts pottery for pleasure. Another plays and instrument and makes music. Still another draws cartoons. Others engage in sports, sing, hike, go to movies, an orchestra, or play computer games. There is always the possibility that one can become overly involved in such activity, but it is important that we identify something that takes us away from the constant responsibilities of our life and in a life affirming way experience pure joy.
Think about it. How do you play? Is there someone who helps you to play? Are there ways of play that don’t take a long period of time but are still refreshing? And when you really need to break the cycle of stress, what type of longer experience of play can you engage in?
