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Hey Jake -
I don't know if I can talk about any one single coolest LEGO experience.
Some are cooler in one area, and others in another. So, I'll list a few:
1) Recently I had the opportunity to see inside the LEGO factory when I was
in Billund. I was able to see the process from granules to shipping cases of
sets. Molding, sending freshly molded parts to the warehouse, complex molds,
multi-state molds, robotic assembly of parts, assembly of bags, bags into
boxes, boxes into crates.
While that entire experience was beyond description, the one thing that
stuck out to me the most was watching minifigs be printed and assembled
before my eyes. For those who I know will ask, I forget which fig they were
making at the time. Seeing the parts getting aligned on the spiral devices,
put on the channel, and then assembled by the robot arms, making the
transformation from parts to a minifig was (for lack of a better word)
almost spiritual. We make these figures come alive in our minds when we're
building, and I got to see them essentially at their birth.
2) The first set I opened after I saw the factory was a Jedi Starfighter.
When I opened the set (that evening), it was if I was in a different world.
Instead of seeing just parts like I've always known, I saw in my mind in
that instant everything that happened in the factory to make that set.
Someone asked me if it ruined the magic, I answered that it only added to it.
3) I just got back from a train show. Its been an excruciatingly stressful
week for me, and the show this weekend was more in the way than it was a
welcome diversion. Those who were there, I regret, can attest to that. We
were all stressed out. One of the bright points this weekend though, was
seeing kids again and their reaction to our layout. This show I didn't have
the time to detail my module the way I wanted to, so the buildings and
streets were kinda bland. But, their eyes lit up when I showed them my
Harrier, Huey, and mobile crane models. I know I made a couple kids' days
when I let them behind the layout to drive the trains. While we do this
first for ourselves, its always fulfilling to see kids come alive when they
interact with our creations.
4) I don't post a lot of my own creations. Its really not why I build. I
like taking them places and showing them off in person, but since not a lot
are posted (or posted well), my latest MOCs are not well known. I do love
those moments when I am building, and inspiration hits. You suddenly break
through a wall of thinking and know how you are going to create the next
portion. A couple weeks ago, my friend Ondrew and I were frantically rushing
to get a window display done for a local shoe store. I created a cutaway
North Pole toy factory as a portion of the display. I love putting minifig
level details in creations, its my favorite part of building. My
breakthrough for those creations was when I used a generous helping of SNOT
techniques to build perfectly proportioned minifig scale vending machines
(for the elves' break area). One was selling pizza (per the tile on the
front), the other was selling multicolored tiles through a glass panel ;-)
They went together in minutes, I didn't have to spend hours thinking about
how to make them, the ideas just flowed from my brain to the bricks.
5) Those of you who know me, know that over the past few years I've traveled
to many a LEGO convention on both US coasts, and now one in Europe. The
ability to travel like this, even with the very limited resources I have,
has been one of the biggest blessings for me in ehnahcing my LEGO
experience. Each time I connect with an AFOL is awesome. When I see
someone's creations in person, and am able to touch them, talk to them about
it, compliment them, give feedback, and when I receive the same from others,
is amazing. Some of my best friends are here in the community. Some live
nearby, some live across the country, some live on the other side of the
world. Countless people here have done a lot to enhance my life simply by
being fellow LEGO maniacs, and being willing to share their enjoyment of the
brick with me.
6) This message wouldn't be complete without bringing up a LEGO experience
from my childhood. My common bond with my best friend is LEGO. I met him in
second grade, when we attended the same church. We had just gotten to know
them when on Christmas Eve of 1991, his house caught fire. Our families
became close because we helped them rebuild afterwords. When they lived at
my house, we had two LEGO collections - mine and theirs. The boy my age,
Brandon, and I developed our own stories based on how we would play.
Throughout the eleven years since, Brandon and I have played with LEGO
together. Our friendship runs much deeper than that, though. I am an only
child, and he is closer than I can imagine a brother possibly being. One
thing we've always shared is the brick, and the countless all-nigters
watching movies and building big spaceships. :-)
----
To me LEGO is very social. I love doing LEGO-related things with other
people, whether its AFOLs, my best friend, or kids. I'm really starting to
enjoy kids more too, thanks to the brick. I find often my coolest LEGO
experiences have as much to do with other people as they have to do with LEGO.
-Tim
In lugnet.general, Jake McKee writes:
> Inspired by John's post (http://news.lugnet.com/general/?n=39785), I would
> love to throw out a question!
>
> What is your coolest LEGO Experience? Maybe you built an amazing castle when
> you were eight years old. Or perhaps you've had a more recent experience
> like watching an FLL robotics competition where you saw kids participating
> in the most thrilling event of their lives. Or maybe you finished the
> perfect train car and posted it online.
>
> I would love to hear!
>
> Jake
> ---
> Jake McKee
> Sr. Producer
> LEGO Direct
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Coolest LEGO Experience?
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| Inspired by John's post ((URL) I would love to throw out a question! What is your coolest LEGO Experience? Maybe you built an amazing castle when you were eight years old. Or perhaps you've had a more recent experience like watching an FLL robotics (...) (22 years ago, 6-Dec-02, to lugnet.general, lugnet.people) !!
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