Hello!  Long time no see..... I've titled this the Fall newsletter since September and October somehow went down the deep black hole of time lost when Life Happens.

My Dad is now missing his gallbladder (and doing well, thank you) and I own a T-shirt that proclaims "I Survived H1N1!"    Dad's surgery was a breeze compared to my struggle to get over the flu - the worst part was incredible fatigue and re-occurring dizzy spells at the most inopportune times.  I've perfected the art of swooning ala Jane Austen!  

The advantage of being a self-bosser is that I could just go to bed until I felt better.  The down side is that there is no one else to write my newsletter or blog posts or complete the curriculum for my fall workshops.  Thus, the missing newsletters.

I've just discovered that I did something wrong when posting a blog and the site is currently down.  Seems like a good time to refresh it so the name is changing to What's Next? and the link on my website will be updated to the new location in about a week. 

Welcome to my new subscribers. I hope you find this inspiring and helpful.  Feel free to email me with comments or forward this copy to friends and family who might enjoy it.     

"We do not quit playing because we grow old, we grow old because we quit playing."

                            Oliver Wendell Holmes

                      "In our play we reveal what kind of people we are."   Ovid (Roman poet)
 

"To the art of working well a civilized race would add the art of playing well." 

        George Santayana

You might have thought it was just for kids, but philosophers and others have discussed the subject of play for centuries. 

Scientists have proven that engaging our brains in puzzles and challenges, enjoying carefree, unstructured physical exertion and good deep belly laughs are the best medicine for positive aging, good mental health and an overall feeling of well-being and happiness.

Remember when the bell rang for recess in elementary school and everyone ran out onto the playground?   What a relief it was to get out of the classroom for a little while. 

Unfortunately, as grownups, we don't have recess scheduled as often as we should. We get all wrapped up in our work, chores and responsibilities that we consider so important and take so seriously.

In the intro to the last issue I mentioned seeing a 50-year-old man riding a bicycle down a very long hill with his hands outstretched, wind blowing through his hair and a huge grin on his face.  This was at a vacation spot and I'm pretty sure that this guy hadn't been on a bike in 30 some years.  He was re-living the thrill and fun of a childhood activity and at the bottom of the hill he smiled at me and just said, "WOW! That was great!"
 

When I ask my workshop students what they do for fun the most frequent answers are going to movies or concerts or sporting events.  Occasionally I get an athlete who is still playing a team sport and the saving grace for many of us is our grandchildren who have a way of insisting that we remember how to play.   I think we need to do better than that.

Play is not just watching or listening.  Play is participating.  Play is putting on a costume, riding the roller coaster, swinging on a swing, finishing the puzzle, making up knock-knock jokes, acting in a play, singing in a chorus, playing Monopoly, skipping down the sidewalk, putting on a pair of skates, finger painting (my personal favorite), taking dancing lessons ...
  

We learn as we play.  We learn new skills, we learn about ourselves, and we learn about the people we play with.  People show their true colors in how they play according to many psychologists. We see each other in a new light after playing together.
  

Playing, laughing and having fun are the spice of life in a way.  They jazz us up, improve our attitude, and bring variety to our daily routines.
 

The best kind of play makes you laugh out loud or catch your breath in awe.  Playing together brings you close to friends and family and creates memories and stories that will be retold for years.
 

Nietzsche said "in every real man a child is hidden that wants to play."  What does your child long to do?   The list of possibilities is endless.

Below is a list of websites for places where grownups can go for  recess.  
   

 www.grownupcamps.com      a collection of play experiences for adults

  www.rowadventures.com          an adventure travel site for those who love water

 www.flyingcolorsart.com         attend art workshops anywhere in the world

 www.rockandrollfantasycamp.com   play the guitar on stage

 www.evertacademy.com            Chris Evert's experiential tennis camp

 www.1800bepetty.com           learn to drive a race car

 www.sankeyrodeo.com            rope a bull or ride a bucking bronco in the ring

 www.kingstontrio.com/             Kingston Trio Fantasy Camp

                  My e-mail box is always open if you'd just like to chat..

                                       lifeworkdesigner at me dot com