Primary Principles at Play, on the Play-ground: Play-lists and such. 

Those of a Psychological Nature: As to how, why we choose to play with various toys, spend more time hanging around the swings and slides as opposed to where people choose up sides, face, oppose each other...advanced forms of "TAG, you're it!" Replaced, of course, by a so-called more "socialized form" which will not only avoid contact but that of hurting...another's feelings -- odd that while we are now, so touchy, feely, "It's" no longer allowed -- on school grounds, at least. Critical principles to be covered, at least scratching the surface in this brief time, limited space we have together, now that recess! has been reduced to what's now known to these gens as a "sound byte" and the play-ground has been shrunken (shrank?) to what used to be called a "postage stamp" which in turn has been replaced by UPS, Amazon, FED..."X". All in the names of convenience and progress. While the space and time of play in the future remains a byte uncertain, two things that will continue to be at play, whenever, wherever, as in other "domains" -- a psychological reference we aspirants got exposed to early and often -- which has found its way into the lexicon of realtors and even through the eyes of google, these daze...two highly pertinent (or "salient" as we also learned so that "it" didn't get worn out) factors, determining how one approached this...

"While You are waiting" Just thought you'd like to know the when and where of how I came to, reflect on, realize, then re-experience the reality...No, not when I was a "principal-in-waiting" back on December 18th (you choose any year and I was probably there) but yet another chairing section...that in the office of my friendly dentist. Well, at least his assistant was, trying her best, to re-assure me..."We are fresh out of laughing gas -- something about a leak in the supply line...but you can have your choice of music, whatever you prefer...you're scheduled to be in this chair for about an hour, of drilling time...so, I'll give you a minute or so...choose wisely..." You'd think I would be used to this by now, that the choice should be pain-fully obvious. By the time she returned I had already gone retro-spective...reflecting back, playing old "lessons learned" (presented to you a byte prosaically on December 18th, 2023, but dramatically developed in a crucible we hope to never have to endure, by Ernest Brace)...

"You're being a byte mellow-dramatic..." This, out of the mouth of one of my drill team members -- again the assistant (that gets sent into the room, to share whatever bad news, well before the dentist peaks in to check on me). Openly questioning how I could remain composed under the circumstances, not knowing how much time I had spent in drill practice, what some mental health professionals call a state of "repose" (triggering the principal, "are you falling asleep on me...?!").

"We'll get through this together..." Easy for her to say...as she's (literally) looking down on me...which sent me off on a reverie, which is about the only place I could go, under the circumstances...As in revering those "hits from "yesteryear" that under these "only mildly invasive" circumstances (those were her words to re-assure me), why not having gas at hand was not a sufficient reason to "reschedule", was the best they could offer. Whereas in earlier times and other settings, while "Wee, little ones" were playing, it turns out we weren't quite alone...little did we know...

"What's Your Pleasure?" That was the question that apparently drove David Premack to recruit a few parents to allow their children to engage in so-called "free play" while being viewed...by strangers! As in some trained observers, who concluded that one could elicit behavior B by allowing the party in question (the on that did not give their informed consent) to either engage in behavior A first (turns out they made B "contingent on producing A"😡) or playing with various play-things (as in whatever wee spent the most time playing with, while being spied on, after they scattered them around the room...what a mess!) A principle that seems a bit out of sync, or at least in collision with those of patent pending, as Mack trucks that a lot of us chose, were invented by our buds Jack and Gus, back in 1900...This drove a lot of us to do things we were not naturally inclined to do ("make your bed...do your homework prior to..."). Self, other awareness, which grew to include...

"Innies and Outies" As we took a good, long look at our-selves...our self awareness, our "buttons...soft under-bellies"...especially as we approached how we engaged the "whole wide world" of work and play...principles which played out on the play-ground (the place B that we only allowed, if we got an A in behavior...😔😒😕). Another so-called "trait" that us psychologists generally refer to as "LOC" (Locus of Control for the un-washed) which I, for mnemonic reasons, like to call "Locusts, out of control". A concept that has been at play ever since Adam and Eve instigated an argument about whether events in our lives are ever truly under our control. More specifically, whether you or I "sense a degree of agency"...the degree to which things (💩!) that occur are more...or less...under our control...Exemplified out there, on the field of play by whether you admit mistakes (more likely your lack of prepping, that also led to an "F" earlier in the day) or blame the refs, for your team's loss for example. Or, regarding the conditions "out there" in and of themselves...are you the type that runs inside, the kind that finds a dark cloud lurking ("finds a problem for every solution") even when sunny skies are pre-vailing...or the one who tells their mother "don't worry, I can put on another outer-layer...North Face was actually invented, as it turns out, to cover our butts..." And, one more app-plication...do you find your-self, while outside, complaining at the first sight of anything bugging you, or do you, on the other extreme end...think you can even control a whole swarm of locusts with a fly swatter...perhaps just a byte or two, unrealistic?" 

Principles that cover a lot of ground...ready to play? Wait, one more...

"Turnaround is..." Or, the corollary, "life's like a merry-go-round...what goes around..." 

"Around the bend..." Just around the corner in the hall-way, resides the unsuspecting...the one responsible for most, if not all of this...mess (" certainly not our fault!"). Now You can watch through the one-way mirror, as we un-leash our experiment...the one we germ-inated where else, but the "rest-room".  But, like he said, in his own room and words, "A plan, even when brilliantly conceived, is only as good as its final execution..." Come back to see what about to happens, as in...

"Be-hind closed doors..."