Play

Daily writing prompt

What’s the trait you value most about yourself?

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One word: play. That’s it. Play is nature’s built-in stress reliever. Nothing relieves stress for me better than playing with my cats and dog, playing a game, picking up the guitar, reading a book for pleasure, or doing other fun activities. Don’t I aggravate, pace, and grumble? You bet. But I have a model railroad that needs attention, two cats who want to play, and a game to finish.

If you haven’t rediscovered the world of play, I’d like to say that it’s superior to a snifter of brandy, a pack of smokes, or blowing away your mind on recreational drugs. It also beats the horror show that an extended bad mood bequeaths to a relationship. I once had a girlfriend who claimed that my habits of play were efforts to run away from reality. I countered that a lot of my play, especially in those days, was on guitar. It was creative. Instead of getting torn down, I was creating something new.

Play allows you to explore magical worlds, create poetry or fiction, and just experience the wondrous.