Just got off reading Time Magazine's Summer Journey Issue for this year. It was pretty great as they featured a series of stories on the different games that we play, across various cultures and generations, from marbles to yo-yo's, to competitive sports. 

Theirs is an interesting thesis, and a convincing one too, that in the final analysis, in the age of globalization and endless connectivity, consumerism and popular culture may not be all that unites us today but also that the more simple, fundamental desire to engage in play remains ingrained in all of us.  In that sense I found the articles insightful and enlightening as it made me take a second look on something as seemingly innocuous and banal as play and see it as something that potentially shapes and continues to transform our perspectives as people and cultures.

Now, as an adult and a mother-to-be, the subject of play is something that I find myself highly interested in again. Not that it's charm ever lost its hold on me. I still find that going to the toy store, playing game boards, watching sports, and just daydreaming and make-believing are some of the activities that top my list as the most enjoyable things to do. But now, the kind of toys and activities to get my baby started on seems to be at the forefront of the many conscious decisions RJ and I need to make. 

Good thing we both agree that the purchase of toys will not be a priority for our Raya because we want her to be more into books and puzzles. And besides, we also want her to try and use everyday stuff for play because we think it'll foster imagination and hone her problem-solving skills. I'll be a prouder parent seeing my daughter play with a box and pretend it's a sail boat or a fortress than seeing her passively seeking entertainment from an electronic toy.

Now I just have to *wean* RJ off that PSP habit...hehehe!