A.
Play History.
Exploring back to my most joyous moments brought me to this list:
-exploring for 'blue diamonds'
-catching craw-fish in the ditch
-fishing
-picking the apple tree in the back yard
-making quilts with mom
-self declaring myself the 'macaroni queen'
-playing belly busters
-eating watermelon
-being pulled around on papas tractor
-fetching the eggs from the hen house
-playing in the petrified creek down the hill
In all actuality, the connections between the items in this list and my topic for the semester of 'comfort' fit together perfectly. The phrase 'joyous moments' alone will bring about thoughts of comfort. Since these are my own personal memories, immediately they bring comfort to me. As i'm sure everyone else lists would have them, too. The connection with this list and comfort at its core seems to be interaction and companionship whether it be with family, friends, or strangers.
B.
Favorite Games List.
-Monopoly Jr.
-Peanut
-Playing Sega Dreamcast
-Belly busters
-Walkie talkie tag
-Cards with papa
-52 Card pick up
-Crack the egg
-Steamroller
Granted, I distilled this list down quite a bit to just my favorite ones and one I absolutely hated (52 card pick up. -because I always picked up the cards) Most of these games were played pretty much exclusively with family which brings me to question how closely comfort relies on relationships. For example, belly busters is my favorite thing from this list. My sister and I would stand on opposite sides of the room, raise our shirts, and on the count of "go" run as fast as we could towards each other, jump up in the air, and slap bellies. We got a freakin' good kick outta doing that. I think the word i'm looking for with A & B is probably 'nostalgia.' What role does nostalgia play in comfort? My hunch is probably a big one, somewhere.
C.
Solo Play.
I'd really like to say I managed to make solidly awesome discoveries with solo play, but i'm not so sure. I sat down with a bunch of action figures and sculpting wire to start. Yeah, i sat there a while just piddling trying to get into kid mode, and yeah i made a couple weird wire sculptures and had bizarre stories for how the action figures met and what they liked to do, but by the time I was done, my solo play wasn't so solo anymore. I played with my dog more than anything else. But it makes sense because playing with the family dog when I was a kid was the shit, dude. Dogs force you to be a kid. You get on your hands and knees and rough house and just let loose. That was the core of being a kid. No worries, that's a good dogs motto. My dog forced me to do something interactive (even if it wasn't with items) and stop being lazy and as a result I felt much happier. Maybe the core of comfort is learning to 'let go' and 'loosen up'? A genuine "Hakuna Matata" approach so to speak.
D.
Group play.
Group play was kinda new to me. Considering i've been much more a hermit than i'd like to admit. So, i started myself off easy and had a group of 2. Nothing fancy. I gathered up all the action figures I had and a set of dominoes (because that's my favorite game.) We started out playing with the action figures, mostly just hitting them against each other and making sexual references, but we went with it because kids do that stuff, too. We got out the dominoes and actually played a couple rounds. And then it turned into throwing them, making anatomy out of them, and stacking them. In the end, it really was refreshing and fun. But now for some serious observations:
This exercise forced me to remember that with kids, its all about the 'me' factor. No matter if its playing, eating, or watching tv. I made notes of hoarding (on both sides) and destruction. Think about when a child sees a commercial on tv for something cool. Its all "i want this, i want that." "I, I, I. Me, Me, Me." But in some paradoxical world, the 'I' and 'me' factor brings you to terms with you and the kid you're playing with. Surprise, you're both just a like. And you want the very same things. The weird understanding between the two of you allows you play coherently together and have a good time. I guess what i'm trying to say is ultimately you become comfortable with each other. Yep, there it is again. Comfort. How much does comfort play a role with instincts? And if instincts are from survival, is it safe to say we find comfort after basic survival needs are met? Or do we even need them to be comfortable?
Exploring back to my most joyous moments brought me to this list:
-exploring for 'blue diamonds'
-catching craw-fish in the ditch
-fishing
-picking the apple tree in the back yard
-making quilts with mom
-self declaring myself the 'macaroni queen'
-playing belly busters
-eating watermelon
-being pulled around on papas tractor
-fetching the eggs from the hen house
-playing in the petrified creek down the hill
In all actuality, the connections between the items in this list and my topic for the semester of 'comfort' fit together perfectly. The phrase 'joyous moments' alone will bring about thoughts of comfort. Since these are my own personal memories, immediately they bring comfort to me. As i'm sure everyone else lists would have them, too. The connection with this list and comfort at its core seems to be interaction and companionship whether it be with family, friends, or strangers.
B.
Favorite Games List.
-Monopoly Jr.
-Peanut
-Playing Sega Dreamcast
-Belly busters
-Walkie talkie tag
-Cards with papa
-52 Card pick up
-Crack the egg
-Steamroller
Granted, I distilled this list down quite a bit to just my favorite ones and one I absolutely hated (52 card pick up. -because I always picked up the cards) Most of these games were played pretty much exclusively with family which brings me to question how closely comfort relies on relationships. For example, belly busters is my favorite thing from this list. My sister and I would stand on opposite sides of the room, raise our shirts, and on the count of "go" run as fast as we could towards each other, jump up in the air, and slap bellies. We got a freakin' good kick outta doing that. I think the word i'm looking for with A & B is probably 'nostalgia.' What role does nostalgia play in comfort? My hunch is probably a big one, somewhere.
C.
Solo Play.
I'd really like to say I managed to make solidly awesome discoveries with solo play, but i'm not so sure. I sat down with a bunch of action figures and sculpting wire to start. Yeah, i sat there a while just piddling trying to get into kid mode, and yeah i made a couple weird wire sculptures and had bizarre stories for how the action figures met and what they liked to do, but by the time I was done, my solo play wasn't so solo anymore. I played with my dog more than anything else. But it makes sense because playing with the family dog when I was a kid was the shit, dude. Dogs force you to be a kid. You get on your hands and knees and rough house and just let loose. That was the core of being a kid. No worries, that's a good dogs motto. My dog forced me to do something interactive (even if it wasn't with items) and stop being lazy and as a result I felt much happier. Maybe the core of comfort is learning to 'let go' and 'loosen up'? A genuine "Hakuna Matata" approach so to speak.
D.
Group play.
Group play was kinda new to me. Considering i've been much more a hermit than i'd like to admit. So, i started myself off easy and had a group of 2. Nothing fancy. I gathered up all the action figures I had and a set of dominoes (because that's my favorite game.) We started out playing with the action figures, mostly just hitting them against each other and making sexual references, but we went with it because kids do that stuff, too. We got out the dominoes and actually played a couple rounds. And then it turned into throwing them, making anatomy out of them, and stacking them. In the end, it really was refreshing and fun. But now for some serious observations:
This exercise forced me to remember that with kids, its all about the 'me' factor. No matter if its playing, eating, or watching tv. I made notes of hoarding (on both sides) and destruction. Think about when a child sees a commercial on tv for something cool. Its all "i want this, i want that." "I, I, I. Me, Me, Me." But in some paradoxical world, the 'I' and 'me' factor brings you to terms with you and the kid you're playing with. Surprise, you're both just a like. And you want the very same things. The weird understanding between the two of you allows you play coherently together and have a good time. I guess what i'm trying to say is ultimately you become comfortable with each other. Yep, there it is again. Comfort. How much does comfort play a role with instincts? And if instincts are from survival, is it safe to say we find comfort after basic survival needs are met? Or do we even need them to be comfortable?
Here's some extra footage/eye candy:
E.
Direction.
It has been established thus far that my direction concerns 'comfort.' So far i've asked several questions concerning the topic, all which have spawned from the activities we've been assigned:
Is imagination the core of comfort?
Is space the core of comfort?
How do space/imagination affect comfort?
Whats the boundary between comfortable and uncomfortable?
When is comfort at its best?
How do basic survival needs affect our comfort?
What role do our instincts play in comfort?
Do we really have comfort when we learn to 'loosen up?'
How much of comfort is selfishness?
All are good questions, I think. But they also all need an answer. After reflecting on all the exercises I now have to ask, "Where does comfort come from?" Still yet, "What is the core of comfort?" and
"How much does our childhood influence our comfort/comfortability?"
"How much does comfort rely on relationships?"
"What role does nostalgia play in comfort?"
I'm still forging ahead to try to piece everything together and create a whole topic to flow with, so until then, Ciao!
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