Let's take the Civil War (in the US) for an example. Has anyone ever seen the movie Glory? I'm probably older than most of you, but if you had any taste or sensibility you would find a way to watch this movie.
In short, it's the story of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry made up entirely of African-American men, except for the officers (the story is actually told from the perspective of the commanding officer, Colnel Robert Gould Shaw - a white dude). One of the iconic moments for me in the film is when the 54th is assembled after many long days of training around the troop's campfire. All of their stress, all of their worries, all of their trials and tribulations are absorbed in a musical and religious song - with periodic spoken statements of hope and faith by the soldiers.
Shaw relates in a letter to his father how amazing it is to him how the men can relax and laugh with each other so easily despite the difficult training and living conditions and the knowledge that many of them may very well meet their end one day. It's so easy for them to play games when the day's duties are over. Admittedly I don't recall any frolicing going on, but then again I wasn't actually alive to witness it. I like to think that somebody was having a frolic.
So after a raid, do you frolic? Before a raid, to get your mind free and clear for what will soon become havoc and confusion, do you frolic? Please dont' say "I need to focus before a fight" or "after a raid I just need to sleep". Please! To frolic is to release, to relax one's mind and free it from worry and stress. You will sleep much better if you run around the woods spawning lifebloom and singing to the deer. Not only that but it will make you smile.
You've got to try it, at least once. Frolic! Do something impulsive, merry, fun! Run around singing Phantom of the Opera or reciting Emerson or bellowing out Nirvana, I don't care. Just Frolic!
If, after you've tried it you don't feel better I will guarantee a refund of all your morose, melancholy, moody, stressed out feeling free of charge. I dare say that if frolicing doesn't improve your mood, you probably deserve to feel stressed out and tired. So good luck with that!
As for Glory, don't watch it thinking it will make you frolic, but it's still one of the greatest movies ever made. I fell in love with Denzel Washington because of that movie. But what the 54th teaches us I challenge you to do. When your job of raiding or dailies or randoms is over, take time to relax and enjoy the world around you. Take time each day to frolic...it'll be the best 2 minutes of your day.
Hooray for frolicing!
2 comments:
That's really a good approach I think. It's so easy to rationalize away those moments of relaxation and silliness, but I think it's a bad call in the long run.
It was a good reminder. Sometimes I get so sucked up in the progression raiding that I forget to smell the flowers and sing a silly song to myself. Thanks for the reminder!
I just wish there were more flower patches in Azeroth. I mean, c'mon! Herbs aint flower patches, I want flower patches to dance through.
I would only caution everyone to not frolic via trade chat, that's just immature. But alone or with few witnesses it's wonderful!
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