Play is one of my superpowers. I believe my ability to play has saved my life and has in part helped me develop a strong sense of what is called "Growth Mindset " (Dweck, 2006)(https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve?language=en). There are as many ways to play as the imagination can take us.
Play has kept me engaged in life physically, emotionally, and cognitively. I believe play has helped shape me socially from a young age when I played kick the can with the neighbours.
On Christmas in the year 2000, I received a gift from my partner which I cherish to this very day.
I have used this bag of words so many times over the last twenty-two years. How I use it is I draw eight to ten words and then write a poem using those words.
Today I will write a poem with the follow ten words I have drawn.
Here is my poem:
as I sit
quietly
embracing
anger
joy
love
sadness
being present
to them all
I am grateful
being present
a fabulous gift
in the crunch of a crisis
my thoughts
feelings
sensations
run rhythmically together
in funky ways
hard to make sense of them sometimes
I let them go
watch them reshape
in the beautiful clouds
where they can drift away
presence
breathing
counting
nurture me
let me know I am alive
unlike death
associated with a burlap bag
the haze that comes
when witnessing death
this way
watching the clouds
imagining their character
a fancy way to play
using mind
a virtue
I wonder
what gifts would I offer
to the world
if the world of my imagination
played out in real time
if I could busk
what goes on inside my being
where would it take me?
where would it take us?
There are many ways to be creative and challenge us. I do Wordscapes and Wordle every morning. I also do Longwalks to play with both a friend of mine and my sister. It is a way to get to know one another and build new memories.
I have plans
to complete a 2000 piece puzzle. Theme Lord of the Rings. I will set it up so I can
welcome people to play with me when they visit.
to take fiddle lessons.... however, no plans in terms of busking!
I have plans
to enjoy my WW journey by cooking creatively, challenging myself to try new things
using my superpower of curiosity to maintain data that will give me valuable
information on living a healthy life which includes at this point my weight loss journey.
I have plans to play with others through physical activity
kayaking in the spring, summer and fall of 2023!
a few games of washer toss
then there is always Sjoelbak when we get it built!
I have plans to make new memories through play and enjoy the gift of living freely through the lens of love.
You are mind blogging. I couldn’t probably even write a poem using half those words. Yet you have creatively used all ten! Amazing. I didn’t expect the results of writing the poem with the words you pulled from the bag until your next post. Your thoughts come together it seems almost effortlessly. You are just one fabulous creative person. May you be empowered daily with all that makes you you!
I love the idea of picking words out of the soft velvet bag. So much curiosity in what will be chosen and what will be written. The space where you work is so well thought out, not to mention the view of the Cobequid Bay. As we "adult" often times play gets lost in the living. I too have been blessed with play throughout my adult life working with children and participating in their world. You have such a beautiful playscape right in front of your home. I look forward to your next blog. Thank you for your writings. ❤️
I love the post and the poem is wonderful! Watching you pull the words out was fun. The fact that play saved your life is a profound statement. Makes me think more about how I can use play to balance my life.
Great read Noreen, enjoy Karen and Alvin's visit