I Am Not Too Old…
…to play with LEGO sets. Right? I have to be honest, based on the past few things I have built, LEGO sets are actually pretty complicated. Obviously there are easier sets that are more kid-friendly than the Taj Mahal, for example, but these things are no joke, y’all.
I have always liked LEGO products. It’s like with coloring. I’ve never outgrown my love for a good coloring book and a fresh box of crayons. Same with the LEGO brand. There really is a set for every stage of life. I guess that means we’re in the Taj Mahal stage of life, which sounds a little intimidating. Actually, this stage of life is very intimidating. I just quit my corporate job and started a new business, after one of the most stressful seasons of my life. Thankfully, I have the most amazing man by my side, but yea…I’d say we are both a little intimidated by the season ahead.
under construction
If you’ve been following along, you may know that I had a nervous breakdown in April. (I’m trying to come to terms with actually calling it that). It feels dramatic, but in reality it was. As I tried to grasp at every coping mechanism and anxiety-reducing exercise I could think of, I stumbled across the LEGO section in Target. I mentioned to V that LEGO sets were really relaxing to me. As it turns out, I definitely picked the right guy…he loves them to. We bought a set right then and there - a set I had had my eye on for literally years.
I’m a HUGE FRIENDS fanatic. The word “fan” really doesn’t adequately describe me. So, naturally I was thrilled when I first saw the Central Perk LEGO set on the market. It’s around fifty bucks. So, for a long time I told myself I didn’t need to spend fifty dollars on a LEGO set inspired by my favorite TV show. But, in April…V and I decided that was exactly what I (we) needed to do.
I put together the entire set in one afternoon. It took around five hours or so, but it was so much fun. I put on one of my favorite podcasts and sat at the dining room table until I finished. It wasn’t long…maybe a week or two, until V decided we needed a Harry Potter LEGO set. This time we did it together. We would trade off every other bag. One person would find the pieces and hand them to the “builder”, who would then actually assemble them. We broke Harry Potter up over several nights. It was a particularly interesting set to piece together because it includes a train.
LEGO pieces aren’t just squares and rectangles anymore, y’all. Which brings me to the Taj…
My dad and I have always said we wanted to visit the Taj Mahal together before we die. So, when he found out there was a Taj Mahal LEGO set, he immediately insisted on buying it for us. With over 2,000 pieces, this has been our biggest project so far. It took quite a few nights and afternoons, but what better way to spend a night or afternoon, right?
Now that it’s finished we have it displayed on our dining room table. At some point, down the road, I’d love to have a built-in book shelf filled with nothing but completed LEGO sets from over the years. How cool right? Enneagram 4 reporting for duty with a unique idea!
There’s of course a design aspect that is appealing to me about LEGO sets, but what I appreciate most about them is their ability to distract me. If I’m feeling anxious, the very worst thing I can do is sit still. If I focus on my anxiety, it usually just gets worse. With a project like a LEGO set, I have something to do with my hands. Plus, my brain is hard at work. (I would just like to say that whoever comes up with LEGO designs is a GENIUS, and probably getting paid BANK! …Why was this not a major option in college?!) Maybe it will be by the time V and I have college-aged kids. Then we can get a discount on the LEGO brand…it’s a good idea. I know.
We are currently on the hunt for our next LEGO project. We also have compiled a wishlist of sets. LEGO products can be pretty pricey. So, for now, we’ll just hope the dream that we wish (to own the Disney Castle set) comes true.
-D
