Lego Brick Back Pain
Christmas means presents - presents mean Lego - Lego means building on the floor. Or at least it used to. When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time bent into all kinds of positions while constructing castles and spaceships. I must have looked like some sort of child yoga instructor. As time passed, the bricks stacked higher, my instruction books got to the last page, and I bounced up like a rabbit catching the distant smell of carrots.
These days, when standing up from Lego production, I look more like an old caterpillar slowly bending back fifty different segments of its body. It starts with a quick motion toward upward mobility. Only I immediately feel the tension in my back screaming to slow down. I reach second position, which looks like an old man clutching his cane whose head is two feet forward from his feet, his back is shaped like a banana, and you can hear the gears grinding. Then slowly, I start to uncoil until upright. Have you ever watched one of those time-lapse videos of flower petals opening up? That’s my back after Lego.
The funny thing is how I can’t stop myself. When I get a box filled with those tiny colorful shapes, I want to pour them on the floor and start sorting. Then all attention to time stops. These interlocking plastic pieces really sap your attention. Sure, Aladdin might be on the TV in the background, but it’s barely getting any of my attention.
The tension is found in how fast to build. It’s the same dilemma you have with dessert. Do I go as fast as I can because this is so tasty, or do I slow down and take the time to enjoy every page of the instructions? My impulse is always to go fast. Sugar tastes great, and completing that pirate ship is equally satisfying.
One of the most challenging aspects of Lego is the fact that once it’s built - you are done. Of course, there are those who use the bricks to create new and exciting designs. That wasn’t ever me, though. I built the sets as instructed, and they stayed together. The only caveat is when we moved. All sets had to get meticulously disassembled and placed in their own Ziplock bag with instructions. That might be the only positive thing about moving.
This all became even more fun and interesting when my daughter joined the Lego party a few years back. She also loves building, so it wasn’t long before she wanted some of her own. Move over police stations and helicopters, it’s time to make way for Disney, Wicked, and cat-themed Lego sets. We are only a few years in, and her sets are close to outnumbering mine.
If you haven’t looked up the plethora of Lego creations available today, prepare to be blown away. Unlike the days of yesteryear when there were only a few categories, it’s wide open now. Do you like famous landmarks or historically important paintings? They have a set for everyone. Lately, we have been buying flowers. Lego flowers! Before you knock it, I have to tell you how awesome it is to have an orchid in the kitchen that everyone assumes is real, but it never needs water and is eternally in bloom.
In a world filled with screens vying for our constant attention, I appreciate how Lego is one of the few things more appealing than anything online. And this isn’t limited to kids. If given the choice between scrolling and building, I would choose the bricks every time. If you haven’t built a set since childhood, it might be time to peruse a Lego store the next time you walk by one.
