playing at presence

Saturdays on the daily headspa blog are about playing with the theme of the week. We've posted a really great little video of some people playing on gymnastic rings set up in Venice Beach, CA (at least, that's where it looks like they are).

I love play and yet sometimes I can't figure out why people do the things they do for the sake of doing them. I have never been a "hobby" sort of person. There is something so great about losing yourself in something that is essentially non-productive. Today we played tennis. It isn't productive. I'm not going to be the next Venus Williams. It was exercise, and it produced great endorphins and a sense of well-being (and some frighteningly sore muscles that promise more pain to come). But it was really just fun.

I wasn't present at every shot. Sometimes I thought about how I'd forgotten that tennis has been part of my life for a long time. Back in the day, I took lessons at a club. And played at summer camp. And on the high school team. How can you forget all of that? So I spent some time walking to pick up a stray ball wondering about all of that, remembering those feelings. And feeling the way I used to when the sea breeze picked up back home and brought that salty sunshiney smell across the courts, just like tonight here.

Every once in a while, in the sweet spot, I was totally there. And that was good enough. For Now.