The blissfull feeling that one gets from building Lego.

There is the joy of holding the new box of Lego. A gentle shake provides that all telling sound. This box contains Lego! The toy of my life, the toy of my dreams, the toy of creativity!

The box is held close to the face to inspect the detail of the kit. A quick flip and the corresponding Lego tinkle to see what else can be built from the pieces in the box.

A suitable workspace is located and cleared if necessary.

The box is gently opened in an effort to maintain its beauty. The plastic bags of parts, instructions, and general Lego propaganda are slid out onto the workspace. A quick over view of the parts bags is done, just to look for new and interesting pieces.

Then the fun really begins.

The plastic bags are carefully ripped open and their contents dumped onto the workspace. Carefull now, don't lose any on the floor. A quick sort by color or type and we're ready to build.

Carefully open the instructions and give them a quick overview. Hurry now, it's time to build.

Step one. I need four pieces. A little rooting through the pile of lego. One piece. Search, search. Ah, pieces two and three. Search, search. Ah, piece four.

Layout piece number one. Piece number two?

(Click)

Number three?

(Click)

Number four?

(Click)

Ahhhhhhhhh. Such sweet bliss.

Okay, onto step two.

The building continues. The pace increases. Time becomes a blur. The mental disengages from the physical. You're a Lego building machine. Give me an infinite suppy of bricks and I shall build you wonders you cannot possibly comprehend.

Then the inevitable happens. Step N-5 of the build. Where's the piece I need? I am now in Lego Hell. A frantic search of the available pieces. Where is it? I can't find the piece I need! How did I lose a piece already? Oh, there it is. Duh. I feel stupid now. A complete freakout and there was no problem. Back to the build.

Step N. The last step. The last piece of Lego clicks into place. The build is done. The model stands before you begging to be touched. You hoist the model in your hands. Well built. Solid. A quick woosh for a space ship. A zoom for a jet. A varoom for a car perhaps.

The joy of Lego past has returned if only for a brief time. Happy times are remembered. The pressures of allegedly growing up are gone for a brief time. You're ten years old again and today is a lego day.

The model is placed on the shelf to be admired by all. But you know the real story. The model is not on the shelf to be admired. The model is on the shelf so it can be torn asunder and incorporated into your own Lego creations.

The Joy of Lego will return.

I got my first LEGO set as a kid, a birthday present for my 6-year b-day. It was a small, grey space ship with a red LEGO astronaut. Back in those days, they only came in red and white (coincidently, the two colors of the danish flag, the country that gave this precious gift to us). Snapping those little bits together to create something had me hooked.

As a child, I too followed the instructions rigidly, making sure everything went according to the book. But then LEGO Zen came to me, that deep enlightenment of pure seeing. As eyes glanced a new model, it would instantly reveal its deepest construction secrets to me. Instructions were laid aside in favor of pure LEGO instinct, gaining all instruction from that deep, spiritual place inside the soul, which guides all creativity and imagination. I would piece any model together on that alone.

It is my unwavering belief that LEGO Zen is reachable by anyone. kmcardle is on the path already, and will soon be taken to the next level. It is where LEGO does not just entertain, it makes sense, and you see through the mortal instructions to construct by instinct alone. Then you shall carry out wonders.

BE THE LEGO

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