My Favourite Way to Play

One of my favourite expressions of Play is the one I do the least.

(Mostly due to the closest place where I can indulge in this activity being a 40 minute drive away, a seasonal operation, and requires a bit of planning.)

Yet when the stars align as they often do a few times each summer?

Rare is the day you’ll find a happier Alexander than strapped in behind the wheel of a questionably maintained go-kart, topping out at 65 kilometers per hour, searching for the fastest way around a 500 meter lap in Coombs, BC.

For me, karting is peak fun for a few reasons:

Primus: For one glorious hour, despite absolutely nothing of consequence being on the line, all that is matters finding the quickest lap possible—a challenge!

Secundus: The process of finding the quickest lap possible is a tricky problem to work through, and feels like solving a puzzle. Corner by corner, you have to figure out how you can carry the most speed possible without losing control.

Tertius: Once you understand how to best approach the corners, you then get to chase perfection in trying to nail each corner in a row without error.

Quartus: While working on the above, you have to contend with traffic on the track and figure out how to quickly get past slower drivers—which often forces you to find different, creative lines through the various corners.

Quintus: The final variable is the kart itself. While they’re all the same machine to the eye and on paper, once you’ve driven a few, they’re quite clearly not equal. The engines perform differently, and the tires from one kart to the next are in differing stages of degradation—thus affecting your grip, which affects braking, cornering, and acceleration.

And having to do all the above while romping around at a reasonable pace? 

What a fucking delight.

Which is really the goal of play—to have a delightful time, however that looks, feels, and sounds to you. For me, go-karting checks all the boxes. For you, karting could do, or perhaps your happy happy playtime lies elsewhere.

As always, I encourage you to explore whatever piques your interest. You may find that your interest is misplaced, allowing you to cross that activity off your list… Or you may find that the thing you’ve been curious about is delightful.

On that note, I’m off to revise next week’s Whimsies, get a lift and maybe a bike ride in, play some chess, and enjoy the first sessions of this weekend’s racing.

Do something playful this weekend, why don’tcha :)

With love from the forest,

~ Alexander ‘Wiz’ Mullan