“The opposite of play is not work – the opposite of play is depression.” ~ Brian Sutton-Smith
So who knew that there is a National Institute for Play… or a National Museum of Play. It turns out that “play” is serious stuff.
photo by: Mike Maguire via flickr CC
The Power of Play
I started thinking about this a few years ago while watching a couple in their sixties teach a twenty-something Hispanic couple how to play the game of bocce. Even though age and language were barriers… they were laughing, encouraging each other, and enjoying the game.
That’s when I realized the power of play to change our community… and that being an advocate for play in the public space would have a positive impact on society.
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
George Bernard Shaw
Playwright“Those who play rarely become brittle in the face of stress or lose the healing capacity for humor.”
Stuart Brown, MD
Author“A person’s maturity consists in having found again the seriousness one had as a child, at play.”
Frederic Nietsche
Philosopher
About
Rich Maranto is a business owner and renewable energy advocate living in Maryland.
Before starting his software development company [RAM Digital Inc.] in 1999, Mr. Maranto was in senior management with a company that produced interactive training for utilities (coal, gas, nuclear…) and industrial facilities throughout the US.
Rich led a team of over thirty talented programmers, instructional designers, and artists creating state of the art applications.
He was also a member of the MPEG-1 committee that created the standard for the popular compressed video format, and in partnership with RealNetworks produced the first-ever series of online programs that featured streaming audio and video.
In addition to his volunteer work with several non-profits, Rich served a 3-year term on the inaugural Frederick County Sustainability Commission, created the Maryland Tour of Solar & Green Homes, and is a founding member of Citizens for the Preservation of Middletown Valley and Frederick Bocce.
Rich lives with his lovely wife Donna in rural Frederick County adjacent to the Appalachian Trail. Their home features active & passive solar as well as a geothermal system… and assorted animals.
Meet a few of my amazing friends.
They are a talented group of creative individuals interested in art, design, sustainability, and all niches in between. Get to know them, check out their websites and discover what they can do for you!
Linda Schenk
Entrepreneur
Linda (a.k.a. VirtualLinda) is an expert in marketing, websites, brand identity, strategy, tech solutions and more… she is also a space nerd.
Linda co-founded The Sun Today with her astrophysicist husband Dr. C. Alex Young. “The Sun Today” is an educational brand that explains the sun, space weather, eclipses & related science in an easy-to-understand way.
Larry Ringgold
Artist
Since early in his career, Larry has used common, easily accessible materials to create fantastical works of art. His experimentation with driftwood began after the 2011 hurricanes forced the opening of the Conowingo Dam, which flooded the Chesapeake Bay. Check out his latest creations at Turtle Point Driftwood!
Larry has won several awards for his menagerie of driftwood art.
Michael Judd
Author, Podcaster
Michael’s roots have been branched with diverse landscapes and fertile culture. Co- founder of SilvoCulture, a non-profit focused on perennial food security. He founded Ecologia Landscape Design, dedicated to the art of contemporary design. He has run a grass roots non-profit in rural Latin America, headed up an arid lands research project in the desert of SE Spain, and completed extensive study at the New York Botanic Garden.