Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?
Photographers, artists, poets: show us PLAY.
I was about to go home after a visit to the local town of Solothurn and as if on order, this group of musicians appeared and started to play. Being always armed with my camera I took a photo just as they were playing El Condor Pasa – perhaps not quite Simon and Garfunkel but it sounded very good.
Of course I play in my daily life, from the moment I arise in the morning until evening. The day is just one big playtime. There are two sorts of playing, what you want to play and what you have to play. Sometimes wanting coincides with having to and then the day is just one big round of games.
I can even enjoy ironing, although that is a must, but combined with music from the CD player it can be fun. Imagine ironing your husband’s shirts accompanied by Jumping Jack Flash from the Rolling Stones. You forget the work and just sing along. Ironing duvet covers is a longer job and there I prefer something more soothing in the background, perhaps one of those long guitar pieces from the late Gary Moore: I am thinking of “Still Got the Blues”: ideal for flattening the creases.
Hoovering does not go so well with music as the vacuum cleaner is a noisy machine. However, you can still have fun, watching the dust disappear, leaving a trail of cleanliness behind. I do not have so many carpets, mostly stone tiles and wood, but the vacuum cleaner game can still be fun. Of course it is a game of concentration. Have you suddenly discovered that the machine makes a painful noise, as if to say “turn me off, I have just swallowed too much and am suffocating”. Concentration is required for this moment of playtime, it might be that one of your cats/children/you have left a large object in the way and the vacuum cleaner refuses to play.
I love playing with gadgets. Turning on the washing machine, watching the water fill the space between the garments, with a layer of soap suds, the noise resembling a miniature version of the Niagara Falls. It is a thankful game, as you can leave the machine to play on its own, knowing that in an hour or so the game is over and the wash is ready to be hung up. Some continue this pastime with a tumbler, but that can spoil the game. You no longer have the fun of hanging up the gaming parts to dry or ironing them. It can then become boring.
Some of us do real games, like playing with the computer. I must admit, here I am guilty. Switching the machine on, hearing the throbs of electronic pulsing through its component devices and mother board. The name “mother board” lends a friendly touch to the game, you feel secure and protected. You know that you belong, you are moved when the computer says silently “what shall we play today” as you enter the world of Google, Internet Explorer or perhaps Firefox. The world is at your fingertips, you can create, be part of it, communicate. Unfortunately all good things come to an end.
A hunger feeling creeps into your body and already the next enjoyment approaches on the horizon. “Let’s cook” it says and already you are passing time with potato peelers, chopping knives and other accessories in the kitchen. This is a musical game. The ouverture is the preparation, the first movement is the actual cooking and the grand finale is when all are seated at the table and play the eating game. You may be applauded, showered with praise, you may have a silent audience, all are positive. There might be remainders of food left on the plate. This is not such a recommendation, but you cannot win all the games.
Daily life goes on, make the most of it, it can only get better and do not forget we are all playing one big game of life so enjoy it while you can. You never know what is around the corner.
Playful Pingbacks
- Writing is my play | Now Have At It!
- 24/11 Daily Prompt: Playtime | Family, Photos, Food & Craft
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- truth is polished in | y
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- My Playtime | A mom’s blog
- Played | vic briggs
- Twists | Historiefortelling
- Puppy Playtime… | Haiku By Ku
- Playing in Words ‘n Pics | Words ‘n Pics
- Daily Prompt: Playtime | theanonymousqueen
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- Daily Prompt: playtime | Chronicles of a Public Transit User
- Play Hard | Retrofocus
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- TV Contests and Christmas | Life is great
- Misty memories of playtime | Rob’s Surf Report
- Bushveld Wedding under the Marula Tree… | The Rider
- Daily Prompt: Playtime | A String of Pearls
- S. Thomas Summers | Childhood Soon Dies
- Work and Play | An almanac for concerned citizens and boysenberry jam fans
- DAILY POST: PLAY « MY WALL
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- Daily Prompt: Playtime | To My Wonderland
- Daily Prompt: Playtime | S K I P
- Playing with fabric | the scroobious pip
- Sports and me | Blogging Vogging…
- What’s In Your Toolbox? | Nerdy Woman
- Daily Prompt: Playtime | SIM | ANTICS
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- Daily Prompt: Playtime, Or: Work Hard, Play Hard! | polymathically
- Playtime | it is habit forming
- Play time at the playhouse | JED’s Playhouse
- A Lesson In Storytelling | Wiley’s Wisdom
- Daily post: There’s nothing playful about sport | helen meikle’s scribblefest
- Playtime (Daily Post) | thisblogisepic
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- Daily Prompt: Play | UP! With Jesus
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- The Art of Nob Hill | Adventures in the Underground
- Getting More From Less (Productivity) | victor’s mind
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Pingback: My Playtime | A mom's blog
Pingback: Twists | Historiefortelling
Pingback: Playing in Words ‘n Pics | Words 'n Pics
Pingback: Daily Writing Prompt – Playtime!! | The Library Lady and Rosie Bear
http://geanieroake.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/daily-writing-prompt-playtime/
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Love this post! I will try to play at more things in the future. Do you have a recipe for fun toilet cleaning?
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I always clean the cat’s tray first of all. Afterwards it can only get better.
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P.S. I’m doing something wrong with the daily prompt. My URL never appears with the rest of the list. If you have a minute for a remedial blogging class I would love your input. (I copy your post URL, paste it into a link I’ve created on my blog. Also paste it onto the end of my post, and click on it to get back to yours.) Thanks.
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I also consider ‘cleaning’ play because when I am done and I see our house clean and orderly, I experience a wave of joy and relief which is, to me, what play is about. 🙂
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Pingback: Saturday Snapshot | Tommia's Tablet
Interesting group. Ironing, what is that?
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Ironing – pressing your washed garments with an iron so that they are without creases. I only know the english english word for it. Perhaps you have anotherbword in the amercan language
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I am working on the wash now. I love to watch everything thrashing around in the suds. Our machine is a front loader so it’s like warching surreal TV.
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We only really have front loaders in Switzerland. I miss most of the fun as I have a washing room in the cellar, so I just switch it on, watch it fill with soapy water and leave it to get on with it. After an hour or so the programme is finished.
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LoL you’re missing the magic.
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I have a front loader at my house too but it’s in the basement so I also miss out on that action. Also, when I’m at school I have to use a laundry mat. I can’t find any “play” in that!
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I love the people watching possibilities at laundromats. Happy Monday!
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Pingback: Play time at the playhouse | JED's Playhouse
Pingback: Playtime… | Life as a country bumpkin...not a city girl
Interesting perspective!
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Pingback: The World Is My Playground | The Jittery Goat
Really liked your post! Love the way you can find fun in a lot of your daily activities! Definitely need to learn how to do that more.
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Would love some critique of my post on the matter! It’s from a completely different perspective than the one above.
Thanks ! http://speakingthroughcurls.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/playtime-daily-prompt/
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I note you no longer follow me or answer any of my comments and that is fine but please don’t block me as I love reading your blogs. Your outlook on life is so much like mine and it’s great to read about your life. Thank you.
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Was definitely not my intention. I have a problem since having more than 2,000 people that now follow my blogs, the success is becoming quite overwhelming. I do try to answer all, but I write daily and sometimes have trouble keeping up with everything. I will definitely not block you, I do not think I have ever blocked anyone here: that only really happens in Facebook. I am now following you and will keep an eye on your posts. I try to read the daily prompt posts, but sometimes there are more than a hundred responses and time runs away with me. Thankyou for letting me know.
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I hoped that was the reason . I have only 50 followers on twitter and the same in WordPress though some of them do not write blogs . I do not have many to read so that is why I missed yours. I was the blogger that worked in Switzerland , was engaged to a Swiss
, married an Englishman and that my mother wears her hearing aid and your father doesn’t. Thanks.
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