Playing is just for children as most adults say. That is not so. Playing is just as important for adults. Yes, indeed, children play a lot and their lives revolve in a world of fantasy. They enjoy their game and playing alone or with friends makes their day of fun. They mess around. They joke. They tease. They laugh. They frolic. They giggle. They kid. They play-act. They make up stories. They make up games. They fool around.

When I was young…as a child…toys were uncommon. Moreover, they did not last long, except for toys that were made in the USA. Plastic material was just invented then so there was much experimentation on the use of polymers for toys. In a way, that was good because we treasured whatever toy we received and we had to invent our toys and even make our toys. This made us more creative and more imaginative. Our playing included concocting, conceiving, developing and fabricating our toys. Thus, team work and camaraderie became a part of our game and our successful playing, all essential to successfully growing up and transitioning into the adult world. Positive thinking was always the key ingredient in our exploits.

I usually spent my summer vacation in the province with my mother’s mother. She was my favorite grandmother and she doted much on me! She was also the one who told me to SMILE all the time. She said that smiling is a joy to give anyone and it makes one look prettier and more friendly. My grandmother worked very hard till 70. She had a dry goods store in the market.  I woke up late about 9 AM and she was already gone in the early dawn selling her wares. Upon waking, I first went to the guava tree in the yard, climbed the tree by stepping on the bench underneath it then propping myself on the tree as I selected and picked the guavas to eat. After eating the breakfast earlier prepared for me, I then trotted merrily down to the market. By this time, it was almost noon. I then visited some other young kids there whose parents were also vendors in the market. We planned and strategized our afternoon game.

The market was empty in the afternoon so we had the entire market as our playground. There was a very large open space in the middle which had vendor tables for displaying their goods. These tables were low, about three feet high and made of bamboo. The tables were also spaced about five feet away from each other and arranged in rows. The vendors used bamboo poles to hang and retrieve clothes on display. These bamboo poles were about seven feet long. Voila! We used these bamboo poles to pole-vault from table to table. The winner was the fastest one to finish. It was so much fun and we had some exercise too! No one ever got hurt. We did not have any toy but improvised whatever we found to use in our game.

Another time, we collected empty cans. We carefully used a can opener to remove the top off then got a stone to “hammer” down the interior rough edges. Next, we got a nail and placed a hole in the middle of this can. We got a rope or string and inserted this through the hole, tying a knot at the end to prevent the string from being loosened. Each one of us needed two cans, one for each foot. After finishing our project, we all strutted down the concrete pavement in the covered market area with our “can feet” as quickly as we could without falling, to try to finish as fast as possible. It was so much fun and exhilarating to first CREATE our toy and then to PLAY with it! Now, I have seen this toy being sold in the stores today.

Today, I reflect upon my youth and how my experiences have kept me still imagining and visualizing, thinking positively, thinking creatively, inventing something from what I have. Those play games formed my inner core and helped me solve problems by focusing constructively and positively for a quick solution without frustration. What’s more, the confidence my playmates and I achieved by getting along together, teaming up together, being honest and genuinely interested in one goal made us mentally stronger, creatively innovative and socially adjusted. We were CREATIVELY PLAYING and always THINKING POSITIVELY. We had no toys but we were happy TO CREATE our toys and felt that sense of accomplishment at the end of each day. We trained ourselves for the bigger game of life as we played together each day. Those vacation days were so much fun!

Our act of playing taught us how to handle circumstances in the adult world. We encounter problems everyday. Every problem has a solution and there are many solutions to a problem. Imagine this problem as a game. Play with the problem and you will not be flustered but will look at it as a game. It may be a puzzle that you need to play. You may be more inventive in finding the correct solution quickly. Look at it as a challenge, as a game, instead of as a problem and you will enjoy solving the puzzle. Believe that you can be POSITIVELY CREATIVE IN PLAYING!

PLAY CREATIVELY!

BE CHILDLIKE… BE IMAGINATIVE…POSITIVELY PLAYING…

CREATIVELY PLAYING POSITIVELY…

POSITIVE THINKING FOR CREATIVE PLAY!