Knock, Knock?

“Why was 6 scared of 7? Because 7, 8, 9”.

4 years of wisdom and life and she said to me “I don’t mind that they bully me, they are still my friend. I still want to write them a Christmas card”. The playground is where children navigate the world around them, through play. This 4 year old, beaming with curiosity and grace is my youngest sister.

Observing her development throughout these years has aided in developing my grasp on child psychology and furthered my belief that play is essential in creating and finding meaning.

You’re probably questioning how the joke above drives this story. Let me lay it out for you. In understanding sense 5 (Play) you must understand sense 6(meaning). Now you’re thinking but what’s 7? 7 is the “plot twist, the unseen, the unknown, which can alter present choices and viewpoints, the new you, the changed you, the unknown, the yet to be or could be”.

The future is something I worry about, we all have worried the future at one stage or another. Specifically in this case with Moo -pseudonym; I’ve been there since her emergence into this reality — to watching her change and grow over the 11 years of her existence. Past me could not have preempted the changes and the course of her journey or the external influences and choices she has been given that I had no control over. Regardless, Moo has developed deep, meaningful interpersonal relationships, has grown to become self-confident in her abilities and has become an encouraging friend who applauds those around her with greater abilities than herself.

“Why is 6 scared of 7?” As adults we continue to search for meaning, an example for instance; teachers that create learning games which inherently aim to engage students to understand a new concept. A coach correlating television shows of movie characters to excite children, but again inherently there is a purpose, and a meaning. In our journey to create and find meaning 7 forebodes external decisions, a consequence, and the variables.

How would one respond if even with plan to use an engaging game to learn about numbers, a child deviates from this and prefers a story? You see in circumstances that deviate from our plans we must become flexible and embrace differences.

Simply; in hopscotch you can throw a rock it lands on number 4, you hop and hop you skip four turn around pick the rock up and hop onto 4 and so forth. In this example, that’s how as adults we must approach learning, understanding and growth not just in ourselves but in others. With these senses one may skip 1 to 3 and hop onto 4, but there’s always the chance for them to turn back and develop their understanding of those prior and so forth.

How can I tie Moo, hopscotch, sense 5 and 6 together? How does all I have written thus, far correlate?

“Knock, Knock? Who’s there? Dinosaur. Dinosaur who? Dinosaur is dead cause they are extinct”.

Personally for me 5 and 6 are interdependent, they are important in my lifestyle and world view right now. These senses specifically, hold meaning in my life because they are the ones that evidently have helped me in understanding how to navigate and interact with Moo in her stages of development and growth.

The audience-participatory joke told from 4 year old Moo, is an example of how sense 5 and 6 has naturally developed within a child’s mind. Moo took information from a prior conversation and her rudimentary wit and humour created a memorable joke. One that I hold dear to me to this day.

As the years have passed, I have watched Moo go between the senses. In her interactions, in her creations; comic books, art works, the way she voices her thoughts and in playing with others at her after school care. I have seen her to be serious and sincere but in essence remain childlike. This may be part of her Autism and her other learning disabilities, though I definitely believe that regardless of the knowledge I have accumulated in the years of knowing her. She is the night and her eyes are the stars.

She holds so much meaning in my life and just like in hopscotch I’ll be there throwing stones and skipping steps just as much as she will. For the truth is we never, stop seeking knowledge, seeking meaning, indulging out curiosity.

When you see hopscotch on the ground, play it, just like I did at Singapore Zoo. The footpaths leading to the other attractions; River safari and Night safari had the game scattered along the paving. When anyone tells you a joke hear it and find time to play, for in those small interactions depths of meaning can be gained.

Take this stone; it’s your turn to play.

Need inspiration? Check out Hopscotch.

Did you enjoy this article about Play and Meaning? Do you have your own story to share? Email us at dfltfailure@gmail.com to submit it.

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