25 “I Remembers” About Playing
I remember the first toy I was given was a knock-off version of Barbie.
I remember how I created an entire imaginary world surrounding the life of this doll and the amusement I had narrated her life.
I remember my friend’s blanket that she always had even when we were traveling. I never understood why she was so attached to that blanket, but something about the sensation of the fabric always soothed her to sleep.
I remember the stuffed bear my mom once gave me that I cherished for years.
I remember how I’d bring it everywhere with me and how I’d create different dilemmas she had to solve.
I remember playing with the stuffed bear less and less as I grew older. My imagination changed, and I didn’t have to rely on just toys to play.
I remember my mom was unable to breastfeed when I was born, so I lived off of artificial milk produced by foreign objects.
I remember having two groups of friends I moved back and forth from because I lacked the ability to communicate with them when I was in preschool.
I remember having multiple objects that I held sentimental feelings for, only to forget what they were as I grew up.
I remember being so enthralled in my fantasies of playing “House” that I sometimes replayed the same scenarios over and over again.
I remember my dependence on constantly being surrounded by others decreased as I became more comfortable with myself.
I remember the feeling of anxiety and how I found ways to soothe my unresting mind by playing with my body parts like my toes and fingernails.
I remember that keeping my hands busy somehow kept my flustered mind from overreacting.
I remember the joy of making friends without verbal communication.
I remember preoccupying my playful kitten with toys to distract him from damaging the sofa.
I remember finding my stuffed bear one day and the old memories I had with it flooded back.
I remember the language barrier scared me from making friends, so my dad would introduce me to the neighborhood kids
I remember I’d hang out with the neighborhood kids almost every day to play basketball or ride bikes. We didn’t need to text or call each other; we didn’t even have to talk a lot. The only thing that mattered was the game.
I remember playing “I Spy” and other kinds of games during long car rides to California. It preoccupied my mind from the boredom of a four-hour drive.
I remember having an imaginary friend I dreamt about every night. When I had a long day at school, I would take naps just to dream about her and her adventures.
I remember being in a tight group of girls back in elementary school. We would take over the jungle gym and wouldn’t let any of the boys touch the swings. We were a gang of little elementary school girls.
I remember the fun times I had making costumes with my friends. We would get into our characters and go conventions together to show off our costumes.
I remember the first time I discovered MySpace. My attention shifted from real life to online.
I remember making life long friendships with people all over the world through the virtual reality. I spent hours upon hours logging onto my favorite games and defeating monsters with my companions.
I remember the shift in forms of playing I experienced through adolescence. From imaginary friends to physical toys and recreational sports to the digital world, these transitions formed the foundation for my individuality.
