January 28, 2024 is International Lego Day! So, today on Obscure Curiosities, we dedicate today’s edition to celebrating those tiny, colorful bricks. Beyond the bright colors and nostalgic charm, Lego presents us with a perfect metaphor for the often absurd journey of life. These little bricks, with their simple, interlocking design, invite us to build and rebuild, reflecting our own lives’ constant state of construction and deconstruction.
Just like life, Lego doesn’t always come with instructions, at least any that make sense. Sometimes, you’re left with a pile of pieces, wondering if you’re trying to build a spaceship or a submarine, only to end up with something that vaguely resembles a lopsided garden shed. Each piece we add to our Lego masterpiece, much like each experience in life, might not make sense on its own. Sometimes, the most extraordinary things are built from just going with the flow or going with the bricks you have.
The Absurdity of Lego’s Huge Global Impact
Few inventions have nudged the needle of global culture quite like the humble Lego brick. Born in the workshop of a Danish carpenter named Ole Kirk Christiansen in the early 20th century, these tiny plastic blocks were originally intended as mere playthings for children. Little did Ole know, he was laying the foundation for a global empire built on imagination.
With its simple yet ingenious design, the interlocking Lego brick clicked into the hearts and minds of millions across the globe. This toy would transcend age, language, and geography. It would have many clones, too, but none that ever reached the same popularity or ubiquity of the Lego brick. It’s fascinating how a toy, designed for the small, sticky hands of children, eventually managed to capture the fancies of grown adults worldwide.
There’s humor in envisioning serious, suit-clad adults convening in European boardrooms to discuss the structural integrity of their latest Lego set’s space station. But, indeed, this is a thing that happens; although, from what I understand, the Lego offices are actually quite casual with their dress code.
Still, let’s not forget the adult fans of Lego — or AFOLs, as they proudly call themselves.These are folks well into their adult lives, who attempt to recapture their youth through spending hours meticulously sorting through thousands of tiny pieces to create their own plastic masterpieces. It’s a delightful absurdity: fully-grown humans, often with very grown-up responsibilities, finding comfort in the same activity that entertains six- to twelve-year-olds.
But, for adults and kids alike, Lego has a timeless appeal of creating something tangible in our increasingly digital world.There’s sheer fun in snapping those little bricks together, a satisfying ‘click’ that resonates within the child in all of us.
The global impact of Lego is no laughing matter, though. It’s become a tool for education, a medium for art, and a language all its own, bridging gaps across cultures and generations. Lego has taught us about engineering, design, and patience – especially when you’re searching for that one elusive piece that probably ended up under the couch.
Still, there is good humor in the shared understanding of the joy and the pain — again, remember stepping on a Lego brick at midnight — and the unspoken camaraderie among those who just can’t resist the call of these colorful little bricks.
Our world is often much serious for its own good, so it’s great that Lego is around to remind us of the importance of play and the value of imagination. While adults finding common ground in a child’s toy may seem like sheer absurdity, it’s a beautiful, whimsical paradox. It’s one that we shouldn’t trade for anything, not even for all the Lego bricks in the world.
Lego as A Metaphor for Our Lives
Much like a Lego set, life can make for quite an intriguing puzzle. Our daily experiences are made up of a jumble of colorful, mismatched pieces with no clear instructions. It’s like receiving the Millennium Falcon set only to find the manual is actually for a small, unassuming backyard shed. You start with grand ambitions, but soon realize you’re winging it, hoping that whatever you’re building doesn’t collapse at the first sign of trouble.
I embarked on many Lego projects in my youth with the naive optimism of a novice. There I was, pieces scattered around, fueled by a dangerous level of overconfidence. Halfway through, I realized I was missing pieces, or maybe I wasn’t. I was just unable to decipher the cryptic pictograms that passed for instructions. Sadly, most Lego builds I started were never completed; I often gave up in frustration and moved onto something else.
But, while I didn’t realize it at the time, there’s a life lesson to be learned there. Lego doesn’t just teach you about resourcefulness and improvisation, but also the art of patience. In my youth, I started many projects, especially in writing, that would be shelved out of frustration. Many of those projects still exist in some form today, much like those half-finished Lego constructions still sitting in bins somewhere.
It took me over three decades on this Earth to finally hold myself accountable for my creations; either I finish something, or I cast it aside to focus on something else. I know when I’ve met my match, so I take away what I can from it and move on. So, as an adult, I enjoy Lego more as a sort of mindfulness exercise. I take my time with it, and I’ve tried to make it a bonding experience for my wife and I.
But with the immense complexity of some of the newer sets, it becomes so frustrating for both of us that we just quit. There are several unfinished sets boxed up in our basement, waiting for the time that we’re both ready… or we decide to throw them up on eBay and let someone else have a crack at them. The latter is more likely. Still, there’s always the possibility of taking the pieces and creating something entirely new with them. That possibility excites me.
This is why I’ve considered simply buying much simpler, straightforward sets. We could also just throw it all in a pile and see what we can make from it. Or, we could just buy a whole bunch of bulk pieces and see what can be built from them. Sometimes, especially with just how complicated modern life is, you need something extremely simple to set your mind to and accomplish, just to give some sense of accomplishment in your day.
The Wisdom of Lego: Building Blocks of Life
Sometimes you’re building a castle, other times you’re just trying not to step on the metaphorical bricks of life’s challenges. But, there’s a beauty in having an unknown finished product. We must learn to find success by piecing together this puzzle without a roadmap, guided only by intuition, imagination, and the occasional yelp of pain.
Both life and Lego teach us to embrace the unexpected. We must learn to find joy in the journey, even when it’s littered with tiny plastic hazards. Then, in those moments of triumph, when the last piece snaps into place, or when you navigate your day without a metaphorical (or literal) misstep, we can find a sense of accomplishment that’s hard to beat. After all, what’s life if not an elaborate, unpredictable, sometimes painful, but ultimately rewarding game of building our lives into something we enjoy?
Building with Lego and navigating life’s unpredictable waves share more in common than one might initially think. Both are exercises in creativity, resilience, and sometimes, in the art of not throwing things across the room in frustration.
Consider the process of building with Lego. You start with a vision, perhaps a majestic castle or a sleek spaceship. But, as you progress, you realize that the piece you need is either missing or has been spirited away by some mischievous household entity.Life is much the same way. You start with a plan, be that a career path, a relationship, or a diet that allows you eat more than just kale. Yet, soon you find that what you need isn’t always what’s available. So, instead, you need to improvise, using a weirdly shaped piece (or experience) in a place you never expected it to fit.
Creativity in both Lego and life isn’t just about building something beautiful. You often need to use what you have in ways you never thought possible.Each of us is made up of a mismatched collection of experiences, skills, and odd-shaped moments, and creating something uniquely ours.
We often are also much more resilient than we think. Just like a painstakingly built Lego tower meeting its demise with a casual swipe of a cat’s paw, life’s constructions can come tumbling down unexpectedly. So, what do we do? We must rebuild, often stronger and more creatively than before.
Just like with Lego, following the instructions we’re given in life should be optional, because sometimes it’s outright boring to do so. The most interesting constructions, like the best life paths, are often the ones you figure out yourself, with a few detours and questionable design choices along the way. We come to find that the smallest piece can be the most crucial; after all, it’s often the little things in life, like a kind word or a moment of patience, that hold everything together for us.
Lastly, let’s not forget the ultimate lesson we can take from Lego, and that’s balance. Just as a poorly balanced Lego structure will inevitably topple over, so too will a life that lacks balance. We must all balance how much time we allow ourselves for work, play, and stepping back to admire our handiwork, or to ponder where it all went wrong before starting again.
Both Lego and life are about taking a collection of elements – some predictable and some utterly surprising – and crafting something that while never perfect is entirely ours. If along the way we learn a bit about patience, resilience, and the importance of always checking the soles of our feet before stepping in the dark, all the better.
Daily Challenge: #OneBrickAtATime
Today’s Daily Challenge we’ll call #OneBrickAtATime. Throw caution (and instructions) to the wind and dive headfirst into freestyle Lego building. So, dig out that old box of Lego bricks –- the one that’s been sitting under your bed gathering dust — and see what you have. If you don’t happen to have Lego around, go get a bulk lot from a friend or, if you must, on Facebook Marketplace or eBay.
Your task next is to simply build something. It can be anything. The twist is that you’re flying solo: no instructions and, no safety net. It’s just you, your bricks, and your wildly untamed imagination. It’s like cooking without a recipe, except the worst outcome here is a lopsided house or vehicle and not a kitchen fire.
Embrace the absurdity of what comes out of the process. Watch as what starts as a grand vision of the Eiffel Tower slowly morphs into something that looks more like a giraffe on a windy day. This challenge is all about the creative journey, not necessarily the outcome. Of course, if you’re intentionally aiming for ‘abstract art’, then you’re probably on your way to an unintended masterpiece.
As you build, be sure to laugh at the bizarre structures taking shape in your hands. Revel in the absurdity that’s an adult spending precious minutes — or hours, we aren’t going to judge — trying to attach a tiny plastic brick to another tiny plastic brick in a way that looks vaguely intentional.
When you’re done, whether you’ve built a majestic castle or what looks like a duck with aspirations of becoming a puppy, share it with the world. Post it on social media with #OneBrickAtATime. Showcase your triumph, even if it looks more like a spectacular disaster. Be part of a community that celebrates the effort, the creativity, and the sheer absurdity of building something that’s all yours, one brick at a time.
This #OneBrickAtATime challenge is meant as a microcosm of life itself. It’s about taking what we have – be it Lego bricks or life experiences – and making something unique out of it. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most extraordinary things are built not by following a set plan, but by piecing together the random, the odd, and the seemingly insignificant.
Closing Thoughts
Who would have thought that a few plastic bricks could lead us down such a whimsical path of introspection and creativity? It’s hard not to smile at the simple yet profound lessons these tiny bricks can teach us. Just like a box of assorted Lego pieces, life throws at us a colorful assortment of experiences – some fit perfectly, while others seem like they belong to a different puzzle altogether.
You might think that the charm and real fun of Lego lies in the perfection of a finished model. But more often than not, they lie in the often comical process of putting it together, successfully or not. There’s so much trial and error involved, strangely and accurately reflecting our own lives. Just like Lego, our lives involve a blend of planning, improvisation, and the occasional moment of wondering why we have certain pieces in our life’s box.
Much like a freestyle Lego building session, life is often an exercise in balancing what we think we should be doing with what we end up actually doing. Sometimes, when things aren’t making sense to us, we turn to the nonsensical andthe out-of-place for something new. While we may do so out of novelty, there’s certainly something to be found in finding joy in the unexpected things that come our way. Whether we’re constructing a makeshift pirate ship or navigating the often puzzling corridors of adulthood, the real fun lies in the process. The end result should be seen as just a bonus.
Whether our Lego creation is a masterpiece worthy of a museum or something that only a mother could love, it’s uniquely ours. Our lives shouldn’t just be a step-by-step journey through a manual, but rather be a reflection of our own patterns of creativity and resilience. When our grand vision turns into something resembling a potato with aspirations of grandeur, we need to learn to laugh at and learn from it.
So, as we put away our Lego bricks and step back into the more serious world, let’s carry with us the lessons learned from these plastic wonders. Let’s remember to approach life with the same humor, creativity, and willingness to improvise. After all, the beauty of both Lego and life is that if we don’t like what we’re building, we can always take it apart and start again, one brick at a time.
~ Amelia <3
