A True story from Saturday night . . . .

[Breakdown]

So . . . with nothing on the schedule for Saturday evening, I decided to hit up a few lego store for the inspirations. Pick-a-brick wall often make me aspire to build cool stuff.

Anyhow, I'm picking the bricks and this Asian man approaches. Says: "You look like an expert, how does this work?"

So I'm telling him about how you fill one of the two different sized buckets with parts and pay. And then he starts asking questions, like how do you know what you want, then finally realizes that I'm 37 and buying for myself, there's not a son or kid involved, etc. He's kinda blown away.. He's got a 5-7 year old with him in tow apparently his birthday is coming up, and he wants to take him to the Lego Discoverland or whatever it's called. I told him about buying junk, getting the polybag and the coupon and where the Discoverland thingy is in Toronto.

He's 47 had lego as a child and is completely unfamiliar with the idea of never letting lego go, he starts asking what I do with the lego, organize, build, etc. My stuff, instruction stuff, etc

And he tells me of the battle, his son gets the set, assembles the set, set collects dust (I fight this with myself lots). He wants his son to just free build, and some ideas how to get him to be more creative, etc. I give him some ideas and break out the cellphone and show some pics of my MOC's and lego in general, he has his son look. He starts asking what I do for a career now, etc.

The biggest thing that lego has taught me is budgeting of resources, and how you only have so much lego, to make your dreams come true. Life is like this too.

Then . . . this kinda shocked me. He turns to his son and says: "I want you to be like him" and points at me.

When I checked out, I emptied my polybag into my shopping bag and gave them the remains with the coupon. It was . . . . cool.

People are honest with their kids, I was kind of expecting more of a "it's neat how he still like lego but kinda creepy" reaction. I'm a confident speaker, and have good pressence, but didn't expect that to garner that kind of reaction.

Shook the dudes' hand twice.

[Paul B Technic]

That is a really touching story.

[nerdsforprez]

I think this is a very interesting story. Thanks for sharing. Sometimes I think we forget, or are unaware ourselves, that there are many, many, that are unaware of the media and pop culture phenom that Lego has become. When they realize what people are doing, have done, and can do with Lego they are truly amazed. I was in these shoes around 3-4 years ago. When I came out of my "dark ages" - and began youtube-ing and looking @ mocpages, brickshelf, flickr, etc. I seeing everything done I was amazed. We don't recognize ourselves, because we are so immersed in our hobby, that there are MANY out there that still don't know about the adult community of Lego. It is fun to try and enlighten them!

[Wodanis]

Nice story.

I was in the LEGO store one time and was behind the register counter organizing a PAB cup to purchase when this woman comes in front of me (but in the aisle with the cash registers) and asks how much the set she was holding onto was. I politely pointed out to her that I am not a LEGO employee (I was wearing a business suit at the time) and that she is where the cash registers are. She got all huffy and went around to the opposite side waiting on someone to ring her through glaring at me like it was my fault she was being stupid.