It's really cold in the midwest -- seeing as how we're in the midst of winter .
For me, experiencing summer is like experiencing art. You may've seen the same thing before, but surely there is something new to experience, to savor about each warm weather day when they're around.
Warm air, hazy sky, cool breeze .. from somewhere.
Heavy sun, sweet intermittent escapes of cloud cover.
During winter, once the temp drops below a certain degree, all the cold feels the same to me ... because I act the same right through it. I don't stop to ponder about how I feel about it. I briskly speed from one warm location to the next.
Whilst at work recently ... I suggested that there should be someone at the front door giving out hot apple cider shots for anyone exiting out into the bitter cold .. likely just to walk to their vehicle.
It seems a perfectly reasonable suggestion to me. But, assuming 'normalcy', I communicated the idea as if sarcastically dropping a rhetorical comment.
IF, however, one person came back with a quart jug of apple cider and another with small paper cups, I would've also just as unassumedly gotten on the job.
Now ...
Place your pretty and handsome imagination caps on.
Really ...
Right now.
I will wait a moment .. in case it's been sitting in your garage or something.
Waiting .... waiting...
Perfect! You're ready.
Whilst at work recently ... I suggested that there should be someone at the front door giving out hot apple cider shots for anyone exiting out into the bitter cold .. likely just to walk to their vehicle. Within the hour, word of this awesome suggestion had made it over to HR. I hadn't realized it until exiting out for lunch.
One of the sweet ladies - who somehow figured out my name although her work space is ALLL the way on the other side of the building - stopped me to tell me how cold it was outside and that I should really dress warmer. She then made sure to add that HR had kindly decided to host an apple cider bar in the kitchen area for the day and that I should be sure to stop in and get some.
Knowing that there was hot apple cider in reach instantly lifted my spirits. There was no need to try and explain anything about where this idea may have come from. It was now time to get some hot apple cider into my hands. I thanked her with an upbeat smile, "Oohh - thanks!" and headed toward the cider bar. The idea was a hit and kept hot apple cider in the kitchen area atleast 2-3 times a week for the rest of the month.
A short while later, I was seated in a monthly meeting at work. Media interest in how local businesses were coping with the recent guidelines was the topic up. A local media outlet wanted to highlight how my work place and a number of others were going about things. I promptly chimed in with how significantly HR's hot apple cider bar had boosted morale and suggest that we offer it as a highlight story for the media outlet.
As the meeting unfolded, there was some reciprocal discussion about the media's expressed interest for how people were weighing the effectiveness of boosters. I added that the morning news attempts atleast one uplifting story per morning, and that while half the news may be about booster shots, it would be great to provide one about hot apple cider shots boosting morale. That settled it.
HR decided, in support of the recent morale, that would be the story they would give to the media outlet -- or no story.
A little later the same day, a few persons were briefly in discussion about their side effects from boosters. In passing, and as though fully applicable, I quickly added -- " cider shots in the kitchen afer lunch .. "
The only thing that was actual (so far) about this narrative .. is that I suggested recently there should be someone at the front door giving out hot apple cider shots for anyone exiting out of the building into the bitter cold.
This was an exercise.
It is my belief, that I would like to also share with you ... We have to engage in exercises like this on purpose, oftened.
Did you know that one of the most important things within a child's development outside of human contact is PLAY ?
An article at Playlearnthrive.com explains what cognative development actually is and identifies the different stages.
"Simply put, cognitive development is the process through which the child acquires knowledge and learns how to put it to use.
... According to Jean Piaget’s theory, children go through four key stages of cognitive development as they grow.
... from about two to seven years of age, children begin developing their logical thinking ability. This marks the beginning of what Piaget called the preoperational stage. In order to give children ample opportunity to learn these skills, Piaget designed many games and puzzles involving shapes, math, and matching. "
fom verywellmind.com The 4 Stages of Cognitive Development March 31, 2020
"Much of Piaget's interest in the cognitive development of children was inspired by his observations of his own nephew and daughter. These observations reinforced his budding hypothesis that children's minds were not merely smaller versions of adult minds.
Up until this point in history, children were largely treated simply as smaller versions of adults. Piaget was one of the first to identify that the way that children think is different from the way adults think.
... Based on his observations, he concluded that children were not less intelligent than adults, they simply think differently. Albert Einstein called Piaget's discovery "so simple only a genius could have thought of it."
According to an article at Parentingscience.com
.. Psychologists distinguish two types of problem–convergent and divergent. A convergent problem has a single correct solution or answer. A divergent problem yields itself to multiple solutions.
Some research suggests that the way kids play contributes to their ability to solve divergent problems.
Kids given training in pretend play showed an increased ability to solve divergent problems, and the converse was true as well: Kids trained to solve divergent problems showed increased rates of pretend play.
Divergent problem solving isn’t the only cognitive skill linked with make-believe. Pretend play has also been correlated with two crucial skill sets–the ability to self-regulate (impulses, emotions, attention) and the ability to reason counterfactually.
First, studies report that kids who engage in frequent, pretend play have stronger self-regulation skills."
Here's where my Christian self enters the discussion.
I'm so very, very, very glad that Jesus came in person to let everyone know we can act like children -- we must -- to enter the Kingdom.
Did you notice that not only was I make believing the hot apple cider narrative -- but I was also imagining being playful in the narrative? Full stance play.
It's my sure stance that what we as a culture have been experiencing for atleast two years on a global scale is an attempted force on pretend play. If I didn't bother to share here that the apple cider narrative was completely MADE UP, it would be quite in line with the norm persons-somewhere-who-decide-on-the-mass-media have been attempting.
But .. since JESUS gave me permission to be a child ... I just wanted to share with you that I have a game to play already, and I can play it better, and it leaves no room for additional games. (Not sorry) ... and you should join in too on this game I have to play.
Jesus pretend played all the TIME!
They were called parables.
RULE 1 .. Reading the Bible is the first step in learning how to play this game I speak of. The first thing you will learn there is Who makes all the rules. There's no pretend part about this .. but, understandig it does allow you to realize you're in a win and lose game -- as Winner !!!
RULE 2 .. The most imortant Rule is found there, in The WORD. Love The LORD Your GOD with all your heart, might and mind (Matt 22). And, love others as God has loved you (John 15:12);
Rule 3 .. There is no rule to stand against this rule, and all the other rules are made on this one.
In order to play the game in this age, Jesus instructs we ask Him whatever we wish, Abiding in Him (John 15). (I just wanted to add in excitement -- I love this game, like a little child !! )
In order to develop a vocabulary for what this actually looks like, try parable talking, just like Jesus did, to yourself .. See Matthew through John, the Gospels.
"... what does loving my neighbor look like today ??" Go as far out as you need. Remember ? No rules against this rule.
Jesus sees and answers. Apple cider .. to healed hearts to ... laughing tears.
Have fun!
Reference
What Is Cognitive Development? (Explained!)
https://playlearnthrive.com/what-is-cognitive-development-explained/
The cognitive benefits of play: Effects on the learning brain
https://parentingscience.com/benefits-of-play/
The 4 Stages of Cognitive Development
https://www.verywellmind.com/piagets-stages-of-cognitive-development-2795457
