nature's zodiac

A recent family get together led to a game of Zingo at the kitchen table. Zingo is the same as Bingo but with picture prompts instead of letters and numbers. Grandaddy, Grammy, Geo and I quickly realized that competitive spirits were starting to ignite. As our boards filled up with picture pieces we kept saying to each other “this is getting serious!”

The ‘seriousness’ was so fun and it made the game more real. What kind of seriousness is this? Surely it isn’t the kind that destroys the fun, like a ranting soccer coach that makes a player feel like they should have sat the game out. This kind of seriousness has a giddy quality that sharpens the moment, connects everyone even closer, and clings loyalty to the rules (“we have our eye on you, Geo!”)

“Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture” by Johan Huizinga, revolves around the idea that play is a fundamental and primary element in human culture. Homo Ludens is Latin for Man the Player. Huizinga argues that play is not only a significant aspect of human behavior but also a crucial factor in shaping societies, civilizations, and various forms of cultural expression. Serious stuff!

He writes, “Play is older than culture, for culture, however inadequately defined, always presupposes human society, and animals have not waited for man to teach them their playing.”

Psychologist Peter Gray is known for his research on the benefits of play and the importance of self-directed learning in child development. 

He says play is not just a leisure activity but a crucial and natural part of the developmental process for mammals, including humans. All mammals play to prepare themselves for life. Monkeys swing on branches, tigers play by pouncing, and in hunter-gatherer societies, children pretend to hunt and bury seeds. 

He writes, “Play… is nature’s means of ensuring that mammals and young human beings acquire the skills that they need to develop successfully into adulthood.”

All of this play serves a purpose of preparing one for the future. Yet, unlike the vibe of an SAT, such activities invigorate and vitalize the players. 

Emerson observed “The health of the eye seems to demand a horizon. We are never tired, so long as we can see far enough.”

A lion cub will grow up to hunt. A baby monkey will grow up to swing on trees. But what will you ‘grow up’ to do?

Growing up never stops. I read recently of a man that learned to read at 92 and wrote his first book at 98. 

Where is your play instinct? How does it vitalize you? How does it make you feel more connected to others? How might it be preparing you uniquely for your own visions of a nice future?

After all, we are mammals at the cutting edge of evolution. What is your game and how can you make it more real by getting more serious with your play?