<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncan/79106711/" target="_blank"><img class=" wp-image-8818 alignnone" title="79106711_013cfbee7b" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/79106711_013cfbee7b-300x212.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="450" /></a>

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<span style="font-size: large; color: #008000;"><strong>Chapter Two:  The Year of Play</strong></span>

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All good things must come to an end, and <strong><a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/" target="_blank">Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously </a></strong>is finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.

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The good thing going forward is that I can now blog like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts <em>a week</em> (compared to last year's 1 post <em>a day</em>) feels like Blogger Heaven.

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<span style="font-size: medium; color: #008000;"><strong>Here's "The Plan" for The Year of Play:</strong></span>

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1 playdate a week.  That's 52 playdates a year.

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What comprises a "playdate"?  <strong><a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/01/21/day-113-i-joined-a-cult-please-dont-tell-my-mother/" target="_blank">Now that I'm drinking the Magic Kool-Aid,</a></strong> I'm just going to do what Apple tells me.  *  (See bottom of page.)

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I should probably set some sort of publishing "schedule" for blog posts.  I like the idea of Tuesdays and/or Thursdays.

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And because I'm one of those over-achiever types, expect bonus play throughout the year.

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<span style="font-size: medium; color: #008000;"><strong>Why "Play"?  Isn't that for kids?  </strong></span>

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Heck, no.  Play is the fountain of youth, my friends.

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I used to play for a living.  For 16 years, I was an early childhood educator sharing the wonder of the performing and visual arts with young children.

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And I wasn't one of those sit-on-the-sidelines types of teachers.  I threw myself into the middle of the kiddie mosh pit and sang and danced and acted my heart out right along with those kiddos.  For art projects, I donned a smock, rolled up my sleeves, and got gooey.

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My students' parents used to marvel at my energy level.

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"How do you do it?" they would ask.

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"Daily double shots of espresso," I would joke.

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The real reason?  I was very in touch with my inner child.  Play keeps your body, mind, and spirit supple and energized.

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<span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>I used to play for a living.  Now I play for a blog.  </strong></span>

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I "retired" from teaching in 2008.  As a result, my inner child stopped getting as much exercise as she used to.  I realized this when Mondo Beyondo forced my soul to explode at The World Domination Summit.

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It's not as gruesome or weird as it sounds.  You really should read more about it<strong><a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/" target="_blank"> here. </a> </strong>

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And if you don't feel like clicking over <strong><a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/" target="_blank">here</a>, </strong>allow me to summarize:

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The dynamic duo of Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen, founders of <strong><a href="https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=121586&amp;c=ib&amp;aff=175709" target="_blank">Mondo Beyondo</a></strong>, led an audience of bloggers, entrepreneurs, and other creative peeps through an inspirational activity.  After pairing up with a fellow audience member, we were asked to share a pivotal moment in our lives with our partner.  Our partner then recited the 3 values that they felt were most significant in our story.  We were then asked to tattoo the value that resonated most somewhere on our body with a Sharpie.

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[caption id="attachment_5936" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Tattoo of Great Significance"]<a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/img00446-20110605-2309/" rel="attachment wp-att-5936"><img class="size-medium wp-image-5936" title="IMG00446-20110605-2309" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00446-20110605-2309-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>[/caption]

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The tattoo makes perfect sense to me.  In my past life career, I <em>play</em>ed for my supper.  When I wasn't consumed by a 365 day blog project, I used to sing and<em> play</em> guitar.  As a college theatre major, I performed in many <em>play</em>s.

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Now that I spend my days in the Cubicle Jungle, I don't play as much.  (Although I do telecommute two days a week.  I have it good with Noble Publishing Superpower.  Trust me.)

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The point is . . . .

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<span style="color: #800080; font-size: medium;"><strong>I don't play as much as I used to, and my inner child is about to throw a tantrum.</strong></span>

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That's all about to change, starting NOW!

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Source:  The thesaurus on my MacBook Pro

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* play

verb

1 <em>Aidan and Robert were playing with their toys:</em> amuse oneself, entertain oneself, enjoy oneself, have fun; relax, occupy oneself, divert oneself; frolic, frisk, romp, caper; informal mess around.

2<em> I used to play hockey: </em>take part in, participate in, be involved in, compete in, do.

3 <em>St. Joseph's plays Boston on Sunday: </em>compete against, take on, challenge, vie with, face, go up against.

4 <em>he was to play Macbeth: </em>act (the part of), take the role of, appear as, portray, depict, impersonate, represent, render, perform, enact; formal personate.

5 <em>get your guitar and let's play:</em> perform, make music, jam.

6 <em>Bryanna played a note on the flute:</em> make, produce, reproduce; blow, toot; plunk, bang out; sound.

7 <em>the sunlight played on the water:</em> dance, flit, ripple, touch; sparkle, glint.

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<span style="font-size: medium; color: #800080;"><strong>Ohhhhhh, my, my, my.  I relish the thought of frolicking, romping, sparkling, and flitting.  This is going to be a fun year!</strong></span>

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