Our power as individuals is multiplied when we gather together as families, groups, and communities with common goals.
The I Ching
Play and the Practice of Playfulness are good for us as individuals and helpful in building Community.
Community as we fondly refer to it with a small ‘c’ is made up of smaller close knit groups with common interests, or as defined by Merriam-Webster , a unified body of individuals.
Small ‘c’ communities feelings of playfulness are experienced by groups of individuals unified in participation through play. Here, laughter, smiles, pushing and pulling, self deprecation, and teasing with good humor — alongside dancing, singing, and creating — are variations of playfulness.
In these smaller moments of community, opportunities organically emerge to begin the process of building bridges. And, facilitate improved interaction with each other and across different communities at large. This makes up what we fondly refer to as large “C” Community. The stronger playful bridges are built across larger Communities and enhance how we and others more comfortably fit into Society at large.
Social Mettle shares that “A sense of community is important to establish peace and harmony among the society.”
To get to that sense, that place – safe playful spaces are often a prerequisite. They create havens where those with opposing views ease into learning, trust, acceptance, and life enrichment. These spaces are needed simply because, well, we aren’t lemmings. We do think differently from one another yet social interaction is part and parcel of what makes us human.
How do you join in ‘community’ small “c” through playfulness and why does it matter? It can ease the way to share with one another, learn from one another and enrich each other’s lives in an environment based in trust, openness and fun. Perhaps we may again begin to “create a unified body of individuals” through the experiment of playfulness to arrive at big “C” Community in a way to bring more joy, fun, comfort, and ease to Society overall.
