Playing with Culture

A couple of weeks ago, I upgraded the version of Firefox that is on this computer. They did not tell me that I would lose Sage, the Firefox feed reader. I was so sad :-( I loved Sage. It was just there. I didn't have to go sign in to anything. Just open the browser, hit refresh and boom! I could instantly see when all the blogs I love had been updated. I furiously scrambled to see if there was some kind of fix. I did find a copy of a new, unofficial Sage++ feed reader. So far, so good. (yes, it's in Japanese, or is that Chinese? Sorry,. I just don't know...but I figured it out and you can too.)

Anyway...I have spent the last two weeks, having sudden memories of different blogs that I love. I go find them and add them to Sage++. Today I realized I was missing Principled Discovery. And she, as usual, had somethng to really chew on.

Play.

Now, I'm not gonna deceive you and tell you that my kids only play outside and are just wonderful. They play way too many computer games and sit in front of electronic boxes for far too long. So does their mother. But they do engage in some very imaginative play. And it ALWAYS makes me smile.

The latest thing is that they are building furniture for the tree house. One of their friend's mom told me that the friend, T, was pretty impressed by their carpentry skills. Did I ever tell you the story about the chainsaw? Or the one when Sam was sitting home for weeks and we hear the table saw starting up? Another time. I promise.

The purpose of the furniture is to have a command center. They already have huge holes across our little town (one at every friend's house, or rather in the uncleared lots near their friends houses) that serve as trenches and bunkers. My friend who-has-the-same-name-as my-mom-and-is-from-Pennsylvania-like-my-mom tells me that she loves to listen in when our boys come over to play. Seems our study of WWI has been the make-believe of choice for almost a year, now. I assure you there are no Germans in this Texas town. lol. 

The thing that Dana pointed out was that play reflects culture. And that most modern play is passive. Scary thought, indeed. Passivity. And the more I chew on that thought. The scared-er I become. Passive learners, not really learning at all, regurgitating to pass tests. Passive players, not playing, just being little robots. Passive adults, doing what they're told. Here are my children, my guns and my rights. I trust you to take care of me. All of me. Cradle to grave.

OK, I have to go bag up a bunch of electronic things now.

Get outside and play - HARD! Defeat giants and dragons and foreign and domestic threats.