Play

A silly experimental essay on ‘play’

"Play?", said the ant to the squirrel, "I have no time to play". How can that be? Wondered the squirrel. But she knew better than to question her friend. Ant was generally in a hurry and Squirrel had learned long ago to bide her time. Squirrel believed in play just as she believed nuts taste better on cold days and that the best sunny spot was the third branch beside the perpetually lopsided hedge.

Squirrel enjoyed life. Adventures beckoned her. Given the choice between work and play, it was always play. She had no regrets. She collected memories. Experiences, memories, nuts. Those were Squirrel's priorities. What did work get you? She had no interest in the latest storage trends and found that nuts tasted the same regardless of their exotic adornments. Work as a means to ornate baubles was an utter mystery to her.

Ant and Squirrel had been friends for as long as either could remember. Their paths would cross at various points in the days and they would always greet each other with at least a quick nod. It was odd to consider that after all this time, there would still be mysteries between them. This impasse on play was one of them. And so it was one sunny early morning that Squirrel set off on a quest to answer the mystery why some appear to prefer work over play.

"Goodbye Ant", she told Ant. Ant stopped in her tracks. "Adventure is calling," explained Squirrel, adding "I'll bring you back something special". Ant hoped it wasn't another gaudy "My friend went to Glenmore Reservoir and all I got was this lousy T-shirt". She kept those thoughts to herself and waved as she scurried on. There were pine needles to clear, carcasses to relocate, and entrance #342 was showing its age.

Squirrel bounded across the utility wires, pausing occasionally to marvel at the humans, attentions focused on little rectangles. That will be a riddle for another day, said Squirrel to herself. It was starting to be a warm day and Squirrel spotted a wonderful shady tree she hadn't climbed before. She could not resist. To her delight a magpie had similar idea and they chased each other round and round and up and up. What fun. Soon, night was falling. She found a comfy spot and settled in. As she fell asleep memories of the day made her smile.

She awoke the next morning with a fresh idea: could playfulness be part of working? She knew just who to ask.