A. My Play History

In the current day and age, I play computer games or board games on occasion. I will also include reading as play, just because it helps me escape the immediate issues of the world.

Before my brother moved out to go to school, there was a winter Olympic games that took place. He and I watched event after event on TV. So, old enough to know better, but still too young to care, we began to mimic the athletes on the screen. We started with figure skating. Putting socks on, we both walked over to a large patch of wood floor and began to pretend to skate. I don't think my brother ever quite let go of this experience though, as he still has fun "skating" across wood floors, even today.

The next event was skiing. So, we stapled several sheets of paper together to make them sturdy enough to put our feet into, and then we began to ski down the couch (much to my mother's horror, I'm sure). Luge was both of us taking turns, dragging the other around on the floor behind him/her on my quilt. I could never underestimate the power of the imagination again, even if I tried.

Back before that (when I was around nine), my work and play were often integrated into one because I spent several years riding horses. I was trained to think quickly, to react accordingly, and to spend time getting to know the horse I was riding. During the winter, when I hadn't ridden my horse in an extended period of time, I would often put her inside the arena to run, let myself out of the gate, get a bag of carrots and run around the edge of the ring. And so she would chase me until I could run no more. Then when she caught up to me, I would give her a single carrot and begin the process again. This continued until I was completely out of breath, or out of carrots.

As I grew older, I would spend hours, just sitting and talking to my horse while she grazed just a rope's length away. Those became my moments of complete peace. I suppose most would think that to be silly, but I never will.

My most joyful image of play was one Christmas when it snowed on the day and my brother and I got a K'nex roller coaster. He and I spent nearly the entire day putting it together and playing with it, making the car go down the track that we built. It was one of those toys that only worked if you built it right and maintained it. If not, it would fall off the conveyor belt, lose speed in the loop, or derail before it got to the end. But when it did work, that's when it was really fun. Of course, this process of fixing, rebuilding, waiting, and watching kept both of us entertained for probably a day and a half. The chance for it not to work made it all the more fun when it finally did.

As far as I can see, there really aren't a whole lot of connections between this roller coaster and my current work, nor do I actually really want there to be. My brother was more of the roller coaster lover and the builder. That's probably why he became an architect. On the other hand, I probably found the experience fun, not just because it was building a roller coaster, but because I got to do something with him.

If there was ever anything I wish I had back in my life, it would be horseback riding. It was nearly everything of what I was for several years. My horse was my best friend, and the trainers I had were probably as close as family to me. I have never trusted anyone as much as I trusted my first instructor. She was good at incorporating play into the instruction, but careful to emphasize specifics. My worst falls were also under her care. I'm glad for that. She's probably a good reason why I never got seriously injured.

On the other hand, I read a lot. Mythology, fantasy, science fiction... they are all things that I have been interested in since childhood. My dad was probably a big part of this. Since he didn't spend a lot of time playing with me or my brother, he would sometimes read us stories like the Lord of the Rings.

That coupled with the almost cartoonish playfulness of running around feeding my horse carrots, is probably where ideas like the animal planet mythical creatures and the rodent plumbers idea is coming from. They allow me to use animals, myth, and dry/sarcastic humor.