Nature of Heart

Natural Play

Natural challenges encourage natural responses.

 Some sections of the C&O Canal were once part of the main Potomac River channel. When the water receded from the canal after a flood, a large round "pothole"—once hidden from view by 10 feet of water—appeared in a canal side wall. Slowly formed by thousands of years of pebbles and cobbles being churned by swirling currents, the pothole was at first barren and stark. Time has softened the dramatic shape with a fringe of lush green grass at its bottom edge. Two young men stop on the towpath to look at the phenomenon, and promptly begin to throw rocks at the hollow bullseye.

Points to Ponder . . .

• How do you define "play"?
• Do you remember a time in your organization when people started playing spontaneously? If so, how did it come about? What was the result?
• In your opinion, what part of an organization's work might be considered play? By whom?
• How could an organization consciously use play to enhance its work?

Posted by Wanda McGee - Tuesday, 05/18/10, 02:59 PM - Comments - Category: Nature's Metaphors for Life