Play matters because, against the gray backdrop of a jobbing sky, play is the rainbow, is energy, is wicked flirtatiousness, is the helplessly laughing, the leglessly laddered, the God of Things which Brimmeth Over, the pint down the pub, the de trop overflow of excess, the resplendently unnecessary and the one-too-many which make the whole damn thing worthwhile. Play is harvest, is abundance, is generosity, the harvest of pleasure after work, the excess and the gusto, the more-than-enough, the gifts, the spirit of exchange. To play a game is, in German ein Spiel spielen, and the brimmingness, the spilling-over abundance of play is mirrored in this brimming-over phrase: spill it, spiel it twice — just for fun.
Jay Griffiths
A Sideways Look at Time
photo | lantern, public dreams society | folk festival 2010
