All Fun And Games

I love a good game. Sports are for spectators unless you are the athletic type. Shooting a basketball or throwing a football with friends was something I used to be good at. Otherwise I prefer to watch others who are clearly more talented than the majority of the population. With most games intellectual acuity matters more than physical prowess. As we age we tend to forget how special playing a game can be.

My wife tells me how important it is to de-stress. She recommends exercises that involve the tightening and releasing of each muscle group. I believe that the best way to release stress is to give the mind a different subject to mull over. We do not spend our day working on our stressors but we tend to think about them - a lot! Games give us the opportunity to change gears and starts endorphins flowing.

Many types of games allow people to compete on a level playing-field. It may be outdoors with a team or a board game with a few or even a video game with just one or two. As nice as it is to win these experiences allow us to use our brains in positive ways. Only basic physical dexterity is required and simple luck factors more than anything else. It is all about having fun and this is a word that adults have let slip from their vocabulary.

Sometimes the smallest things bring us joy and happiness. Games of all kinds challenge us in good ways. Sex, drugs and cable television do not completely satisfy. When was the last time you can honestly say you had fun? Without it a balanced life is not within reach. There will always be challenges to our time and mental resources. What better way is there to give our mind the respite it so desperately needs? Even school children look forward to recess each weekday. I hope that adults will begin to realize the benefit it can bring to the quality of their own lives.