Subject:
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Re: How did you come out of your Dark Ages?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.people
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Date:
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Sat, 25 Nov 2000 03:33:51 GMT
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In lugnet.people, Kevin Zwicker writes:
> I was wondering if any of you had any interesting stories about what
> prompted your exit from your Dark Ages. Was there a specific set? Did you
> visit someone with a layout? Did you immediatety go on a shopping spree?
My dark ages started sometime around '88. I was 12, and as I recall, some of
my friends were telling me I was a little immature to have bunches of Lego
still lying around. Of course I always told them I never played with them,
being the brave soul I was; wait till they were gone, then build vast armies
of cool spaceships and castles.
However, I while I could hide it from my friends, I couldn't hide it from my
parents. They became increasingly worrisome with my fixation on childhood
toys when I was supposed to be getting into computer games, girls, music,
movies, and whatever else they thought I was supposed to like. Eventually
they cornered me on it: "You don't really WANT to still have those old Legos
in your room, do you? I mean, you don't PLAY with them anymore, RIGHT?" And,
again, being the brave soul I was: "Uh... no?" So the Lego promptly got put
up in the attic, and I took up computer programming in applesoft basic for
the next few years, satisfying my desire to build at least SOMETHING.
Then, in 1992, my first glimmer of re-emergence to the Lego world appeared.
I snuck into the attic, retrieved a box, and hid it in my room. I couldn't
put it ALL in my room, but I could hide one box, I figured. It worked for a
while. But the look on my mother's face when she opened a drawer in my room
and found little minifigs in a box was enough to tell me that she did NOT
think it was normal or welcome. Very important fact for later on.
Anyway, in '93 I had a school project for math class. We were supposed to
demonstrate mathematical principles for some everyday object. Naturally, I
chose Lego. It was a great cover up story. I could play with my Lego, and
blame it on school, without fear of embarassment. But the project came and
went. I didn't put the Lego away, but my cover for that was of course that I
just hadn't gotten around to it yet. But when I was caught building a big
castle, I just had to find an excuse. "I was building it for Matthew!" (My
little brother, then 6 years old) So I promptly had to follow through with
that story and show my little brother all the glories of Lego, hoping with
all I could muster that he wouldn't want it and end up getting it from me.
But fortunately for me, he didn't want it. He was rather bored with Lego.
And I went on building. I built a few things, but mostly hid them and didn't
show them off. But finally, in 1995, I built something I just couldn't
resist showing off. An AT-AT. Not the same one as seen on my page, no. A
MUCH simpler, plainer looking one. Pretty silly looking, I suppose, looking
back on it. But I had to show it off. That was pretty much the first public
'coming out' I had. I also did a 2x3 portrait of Homer Simpson, and showed
that off too. I quite clearly had the building bug.
But I was still too ashamed to buy sets. I'd go to different stores, even
pick different clerks who I hadn't had before so they wouldn't recognize the
wierd teenage guy buying Lego sets. Whenever I had access to a car, and the
coast was clear, I'd rush out, buy a set (I was afraid to go to the checkout
register with more than 1... that way I always at least had the excuse that
it was for a birthday present), and sneak it back in without my parents or
anyone else knowing. My biggest buying binge was when my parents went away
for a week. I went out and bought a set or two every night! But I was still
secretive about it.
But it was only upon the discovery of LUGNET, RTL and really the online Lego
community that I really became a Lego fanatic. And ever since my outlook has
changed drastically. I now take a bit of pride in buying sets at the store.
I welcome the odd glances that people sometimes give me and am even eager to
answer them and explain my bizarre hobby. And the rest, as they say, is history.
DaveE
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: How did you come out of your Dark Ages?
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| (...) <nod, nod> I never had a true dark age, but I had a few years of "dim ages" in which I only went up to the attic (the "lego" room) once in a few months... it went off and on. I had more weird looks from my family than from my friends; my older (...) (24 years ago, 25-Nov-00, to lugnet.people)
| | | Re: How did you come out of your Dark Ages?
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| David!! Your story is so similar to mine!!... I don't remember a moment in my childhood when I didn't have my LEGO out and ready to build. In 87 we moved from Calgary, Alberta to Denmark, and two years later moved back to Canada, but to Vancouver. (...) (24 years ago, 25-Nov-00, to lugnet.people)
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