Play

I've got play on my mind this morning.  Yesterday I downloaded Duke Ellington's "The Ultimate Collection" on itunes.  Man, can he play.  I started thinking about my connection to play and how work and play are held in binary opposition.  Play is celebrated as leisure time while work is meant to be productive.  I play video and board games, play badminton and tennis, and occasionally play the guitar gathering dust in my living room.  These are specified as leisure activities.  I work as a teacher, graduate student, and father.  This is my work.

When I think about accounting, medicine, or finance, I categorize these kinds of occupations as work.  However, an actor, musician, or professional athlete falls under the category of play.  Why is this?  Can an accountant not play in her profession?  Is a hockey player working or playing?

I love this quote by Louis Armstrong:

"What we play is life."

We play roles.  An accountant will step into the role of how we expect a professional to act.  When we see a play, the actors are expected to stay in character.  Their work is to play.

The kindergarten program at our school is play-based.  It is designed with a series of centres for students to engage with, promoting the development of fine and gross motor skills, socialization, and the acquisition of math language skills.  The premise is that children learn through play.  How about adults?  Do we stop learning through play when we reach a certain age?  Can we only play in our work if we are in a field that allows it?

I have research to do in the area of play.  I'm going to start with a book, "Digital Play: the Interaction of Technology, Culture and Marketing" http://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=gw5V10iLEsUC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=digital+play&ots=jrAWPpMDCQ&sig=n0SAwB66QxsDYpxuKX4CNaXbkx0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Much play to do.