When we were children we didn't have to keep an eye on the clock, because our parents would always call us in for dinner and we all knew it was time to come inside for the night when the street lights turned on.
Sadly, when we became adults the inevitable happened and the next thing we knew we were wearing a watch and then we were checking the time on our phones, TVs, BluRay players and everywhere else we look.
Kids have that ability to leap without looking, while adults are busy sewing the nets together.
As adults, we need to remember to take time out and play.
Tom Shadyac, a Hollywood director, had the same thought.
When he was in a serious coma-inducing bike accident in 2007, he gave up the Hollywood life and lavish lifestyle and traded it all in for a motorhome on the ocean.
Shadyac was approached by Pepperdine University to teach what was supposed to be a screen writing class. During the class, he realized that the students were stressed out, so he starting talking about life.
The class evolved from screen writing to a class called storytelling and life. He teaches, watches movies and talks about life, Shadyac also buys them lunch and has given each student a bicycle, to remind them all the importance of having fun especially when the world is telling us to get serious that is when we have to get serious about play.
The students took the idea a step further.
They played -- and paid -- it forward.
They started giving the bikes to kids that were less fortunate, and eventually Shadyac's class sponsored an inner-city school in Compton, California by giving all the students their own bike. Many of the children wouldn't have ever been able to afford the luxury of having their own bicycle.
Why is that so hard for adults to remember to take a recess and just have fun?
Take the time to fly a kite, have a water fight or play on the merry-go-round.
As a kid, playing was our job, to play kick the can, hide and seek and jump rope.
We should all take a little time to enjoy ourselves while we still can.
What are we waiting for?
Over the holidays, I attempted to do just that.
On Christmas Eve, I ran out to the mall in hopes of finding the game Monopoly. Because nothing passes the time waiting for the turkey to cook like a board game.
In the toy store, I was faced with shelves upon shelves of Monopoly. Every edition you could possibly imagine and even some that you can't: Heinz Ketchup Monopoly, Batman & Robin Monopoly and Dot-com Monopoly just to name a few.
All I was looking for was plain-old, classic Monopoly, complete with the thimble and the do-not-pass-go space on the board. Instead what we found was that Monopoly has gone modern.
Instead of having paper money, now players have debit cards that keep track of their spending complete with a calculator that you slide your card through.
Is nothing sacred anymore?
If that wasn't enough, the game pieces have also changed. No longer is there the top hat, scottie dog and the iron, now you have to choose from a cellphone or a hamburger.
When Monopoly goes the way of technology is a sad day.
How are you expected to cheat with a debit card?
So at this time especially, remember to take a minute to yourself and just have fun.
