Happy Winter-een-mas!

I read once about the three treasures of Japan. The Power of the Jewel, the Power of the Sword, and the Power of the Mirror. The Jewel represents money, what a man can buy. The Sword represents the strength of the body to take what it needs by force. But by far the most treasured is the power of the Mirror, the ability to see one's self clearly.

I see my features first. My green eyes, my brown hair, the little mole under my left temple that my hair mostly covers up, it's all there. Some days I just move on from there and begin my day.

But if I stop and pause for a minute, I look in my eyes and I begin to see how my decisions are affecting my life. I can see a sparkle of life in my eyes if all is as it should be. The world is mine to command, to bring to life my every desire. I can do anything. That's when I know I'm doing it right, when I feel my most alive and real.

Occasionally, though, there is another look. One I have seen often in people around me, but one I've tried to escape for myself. It's a glazed over, tired look that no amount of sleep can cure. The only way to describe it is incurable exhaustion. It's when the spark is smothered by foolish busywork. It's at these times, when I get no joy out of life, that I realize I am not really alive, I'm a living corpse.

The only remedy I have found is to sit myself down and have a very long, very serious, play time. If I don't play for a few hours at least when my eyes get that way, it only gets worse. The only viable remedy for zombie syndrome is to laugh, cry, shout, smile, run, play video games, read fun books, draw, write a story, or sing a song. That's when I'm alive. That brings me back to life.

Conclusion:

To play is to be alive, Work is just a byproduct.

Happy Winter-een-mas!