Subject:
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Re: Dark Ages story
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Sat, 27 Mar 1999 01:21:09 GMT
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Viewed:
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803 times
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In lugnet.general, Thomas Main writes:
> I wonder if most people entered their dark ages gradually, without
> really noticing that Lego was becoming less and less important to them
> or whether people remember making an abrupt decision to stop using
> Lego. For me, the former was true.
>
> I do remember two distinct incidents that vaulted me into my dark ages,
> however. One was in a specialty toy store, where my mother and I were
> looking at Lego. This was a toy store in another town that we sometimes
> went to as part of a day trip. I loved that toy store because they had
> a large, original castle display set up (obviously from the model shops
> at TLG) and they carried items other merchants didn't (like trains,
> lights, etc.) I was looking at a passenger train coach and my mother
> asked me if I would like it (offering to buy it for me). I didn't want
> it. That was the first time I didn't want Lego that was offered to me.
>
> Another incident really marked the end of my childhood fascination with
> Lego. I had a town/train setup for years in my room. I would often
> play with the cowboy-hat-wearing fig from the Exxon Gas station,
>
> http://www.lugnet.com/pause/search/?query=6375-2
>
> pretending that he was the mayor of the town. This went on for YEARS.
> I would create stories of how he began as an outlaw on the fringes of
> society, made connections with the railway unions, and eventualy came to
> power and overthrew the former mayor (who was the chief of police in set
> http://www.lugnet.com/pause/search/?query=588-1) He was a very corrupt
> ruler, btw. Well, one day, I made up the end story. Of how this fig
> lost all power, caused the destruction of the Lego town (which he did on
> a regular basis anyway IIRC), and met his death. I took the fig (my
> favorite) and threw him in a small creek by my childhood home. It was
> the first time I had ever thrown away Lego. And he was the symbol of my
> stopping Lego play (at least for 15 years or so).
>
> I always thought it would be neat if I found that fig now. When I heard
> about Lego appearing on the coast of Florida it renewed my hope. That
> would really be magic, I think, to find that fig after all these years.
> What's the probability (the mind boggles)? Anyway, if you see him....
>
> --
> Thomas Main
> main@appstate.edu
Great story! Write that one down for your grandkids. I never had Lego as a
kid, but have always enjoyed it with my boys. One Christmas the great debate
with my SO was the choice between the monorail or a race track. He went out
to buy the monorail, but came back with a race track. He said he just
couldn't spend that much on plastic. So the next week I bought the monorail
on sale, $80 I think, which was quite a chuck of change in our younger days.
Well, the gears on the race cars stripped out within a week and we had to mail
away for replacements. It did not last a year, even with great care. But the
monorail is still going strong! And after that I started into trains with the
Load 'n Haul railroad. But I could never convince the kids they wanted one
for Christmas or birthday. I finally had to come out of the closet and say
this is mine and I love Lego toys!
The people at work look a bit askance at my hobby, but hey they all have
rock collections (I am a geologist). Last week when I put the jungle raft
adventure set on a coworker's desk, he knew right away it was from me. And
every time I went by his office the fig was in a different pose. So now they
want me to do a jungle scene with each of us represented in a canoe. Maybe
I'll throw in a couple of bats since that is their favorite scary story from
Peru. I work on the Peru exploration team, and most of our mapping has been
done along the rivers, by canoe.
Make it a good day.
Louise
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Dark Ages story
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| I wonder if most people entered their dark ages gradually, without really noticing that Lego was becoming less and less important to them or whether people remember making an abrupt decision to stop using Lego. For me, the former was true. I do (...) (26 years ago, 11-Mar-99, to lugnet.general)
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