Comments on: How Do You Play (Work) Life?

By: Barb Hartsook

Barb Hartsook — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:14:51 +0000

Hi Lisa. That’s what I’m talking about! Yes! My work is my play as well — my dad taught me to learn to love whatever it was I needed to do. You gotta’ love it! he said. And he did love his work. Told once me he’d never worked a day in his life. Truth was he started helping to support his family of 13 when he was 11 years old. He later taught and coached and wrote books. He loved every moment as much as the golf he took up in retirement.

Well, I taught and I built a business with my husband and I created workshops and spoke at large gatherings — and always came home exhausted.

Now I’m doing what was put on hold so many years ago — I sleep with ideas running through my mind and have to force myself to rest. Painting and writing and learning more about both are just fun!!!

I look forward to your post on tomatoes. I love them directly off the vine, warm from the sun. Yum………………..

By: Barb Hartsook

Barb Hartsook — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:50:44 +0000

Hi Davina. I love metaphors too. I learn more from them actually… the lessons are somehow broader and more encompassing through metaphor.

I’ve certainly made my share of assumptions and filled in those hasty blanks. And frequently had to back-pedal and re-do. (Fortunately my fifth-grade teacher was my mom, and she never felt shame in having to apologize and do it over. Even with kids.)

I’m not quick and multi-task-talented. I’m slow and thorough. I get less done, it seems, than my prolific heroes — artists, writers, bloggers.

I remember in college learning to play bridge. Seems like I observed forever before getting even the basics. Asked a kadzillion questions. And THEN started to play. But I played well.
I have to take the time to see and think and visualize (like Vered in her skiing).

Thanks so much for coming by. Hope all is well following your surgery.

By: Barb Hartsook

Barb Hartsook — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:21:12 +0000

Thank you so much, Sema! I will scoot over and see what a Lemonade Award is.

By: Barb Hartsook

Barb Hartsook — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:19:43 +0000

Hi Bean. Thank you for making the distinction. I like the terms fun-play versus strategy-play. And then combining them as you have. Taking time to think quietly is often the first thing we eliminate in a necessarily-busy schedule. Shame, too… When that happens to me, I get knots at the core of my being. Sunday morning I truly wished I could have another Saturday. Not for frolicking, but to enjoy thinking before the new week started.

In order to see well, I MUST take time to look.

I have a thought for our FFF classes and will send you a PM. (They are a lifeline for me… and you are a God-send!)

By: LisaNewton

LisaNewton — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 05:17:19 +0000

I work (play) life by taking pictures. Let's take yesterday for example: I went to a community garden for a lesson on growing tomatoes. I was looking forward to learning about tomatoes, taking some pictures of the community gardens, and listening to the speaker. What I came away with was a new love of gardening (which I used to do, but haven't for several years), a new appreciation for my community (via a community garden), and a new love of tomatoes (which I only really love when they're yellow). Now, I take the pictures I took, research the places and people I visited, and write about them. I love what I do. For me, work is play (at least with my blog). PS - You can look for the post on the community garden later this week. LisaNewton’s last blog post..A Boy and a Wave

By: Davina

Davina — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:56:36 +0000

Hi Barb. I haven't had my coffee yet today. I think it's about time. Been 2 days actually. Metaphors! Love them. I use them primarily when I'm trying to get a point across to somebody. And assumptions, well that's another story. I am very quick to make assumptions because I live quickly and impatiently fill in the blanks when I don't know the answer. It's a bad habit, but I've recently, as you know from reading my last post, come to realize this. It is an interesting trip. That painting you've done is beautiful. Great work Barb! Davina’s last blog post..Good Advice in Tough Times

By: sema

sema — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:23:24 +0000

Hi Barb,
I would love to express my thanks to you for inspiring me by giving you the lemonade award. you can collect it at my blog.
love
sema

By: Bean

Bean — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 04:55:18 +0000

I am really glad that I read the comments here about play. I also interpreted play to mean relax and frolic instead of strategy. It is interesting how both definitions apply but give a different bent to the post. I read it once with the fun play and then reread it with the strategy play and the combination of the two got me thinking, while I was sipping the nice cold water. I am doing too much and that is preventing me from thinking enough and really creating a promising hypothesis. Its time to slow down, take a deep breath and get out of crisis mode. Bean’s last blog post..Power of Pingbacks or How I got naked with the Fairy Blog Mother

By: Barb Hartsook

Barb Hartsook — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 01:11:53 +0000

Hi Patricia. I used the word play as in playing your hand at cards. Not as in play at the expense of work.

But now that you bring it up, it’s one of those things I wish I had known starting out… how to play at work you really love doing. It’s how I feel now.

By: Barb Hartsook

Barb Hartsook — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 01:09:41 +0000

You’re welcome, J.D. and thank you right back. Nicely put — turn my thinking into doing. That was the name of my language arts books when I was in the primary grades. Think and Do. Guess it’s always stuck with me.