Exuberance and Joy

I have seen some of the 2011 Cricket World Cup which is being played in India and Sri Lanka.  I am constantly in awe of how energetic and happy the crowds and crowds of people are at these matches.  People from the sub-continent simply love their cricket.  The crowds dance, jump up and down, wave flags and their arms, smile and laugh with such high energy and joy.  It is infectious.  Noise levels in the grounds are at fever pitch as they clap and cheer for their heroes and for cricket in general.

The piece I had not noticed and which a commentator on the radio today drew my attention to is that there is very little alcohol being consumed by these happy, energetic and genuinely joyful cricket lovers.  In comparison crowds which attend sports matches in my country are often fuelled by drinking alcohol.

It is really refreshing to see people expressing such joy and exuberance without the support of alcohol but also to reflect on how a passionate love of a sport can be expressed so openly and enthusiastically by people of all ages and from all sections of society.

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More fun ideas

My informal research about what women did to play and have fun also included the following:

Soaking in a bath

Playing with collections of dolls and teddies

Writing anything “non heavy” e.g emails to friends, letters to family

Coffee and chocolate

Repartee and friendships with work colleagues

Professional development, learning and the anticipation related to new challenges in those areas

Playing with ideas, opinions, viewpoints and words

Pottering about on a musical instrument

Sitting in the sun

Having breakfast in bed

Watching early morning television

Christmas time, visiting Santa’s Cave and specialty areas in shops

Imaginary stories, fairies etc

Gardening and baking = thinking time while doing things

Craft and creative activities

Playing with crayons, pastels and colours

Playing with spiritual “tools” – meditation, Reiki, visualisations

Finding time, taking time and giving themselves permission to do any or all of these nourishing activities were the biggest obstacles to increasing fun and play in the women’s lives.

Fun and Games

A few years ago I was challenged by someone to consider how I played and had fun.   I had a few ideas about what I did but the question piqued my interest about what other adult women did to play and have fun.  I sent this question to 18 women of varying ages and I received 10 responses.

Many women reported the following as ways to play and have fun:   Music, singing and dancing; reading books or magazines; playing with their own children or other people’s children;  enjoying pets; nature based activities, such as beach walking, picking flowers, skipping stones; shopping both browsing and purchasing; spending time with others, having a meal together, sharing experiences, new places to visit, visiting friends, playing tricks and pranks on friends, or simply blobbing out with a preferred person.

Being able to feel free enough to really express ourselves in a joyful happy way without the burden of responsibilities and worries, even for brief moments is a healthy thing to do for ourselves.

Tomorrow I will post a list of other fun and playful things the women mentioned in their replies.