This post is for the the LUG Guatemala (Lego User Group Guatemala) and it’s quick share of Lego in my life.

Genesis
It was the Christmas eve between 1990 and 1992 when I was about six years old. As a matter of Christmas present I was expecting anything but a Lego set.  My dream obsession was a 4×4 with wireless remote control, “the Fast Track”, or maybe  another [hard to destroy] Tonka. Instead my parents surprised me with a box full of *broken* pieces of plastic that, once unwrapped, meant to be putted together by some boring individual. I felt frustrated and sadly mad. I was ready to throw a crying and yelling event but my older sister, Any, smartly approached me and advised at my ear: “look, there’s a plane, you only have to build it and then play forever with it”. It was the Lego Airport 6396.

Fast Forward
Around 20 Christmas and hundreds of hundreds of pieces later, I was less than ~two months married on December 2011. With the approval from my wife, I swapped some of the wedding gifts [Cemaco] in exchange for the below exhibited Lego Technic set; BTW I would like to apologize to the invitees for trading part of your wedding presents for toys; it was worth it, though:

Click the pictures for bigger look.

This nice Technic set took me the whole Christmas eve and quite a share of Christmas day; I would say between eight to twelve effective hours.  Among the opportunity costs of building this nice set it’s one the firsts marital arguings with my beloved wife; probably because I only took brakes to eat [and quickly] and blunt responses to any matter not being Lego.

Some interesting topics:

• I have heard that the model has been discontinued, which should increase the value of that asset.
• It came incomplete, had to ask for pieces to headquarters and took about one month to receive the pieces, free.
• I have seen some absolutely incredible adjustments including a remote control  from Pro builders. Take a look:

If I wouldn’t have to work, I would devote a good chunk of my time to collect and build all Technic sets  which would cost me the same if I would purchase a nice pre-owned Range Rover ( my only favorite car).

Among other creations with Lego, this year I got creative by imitation:

• iPhone holder 

I built about 6 different models mainly because shortage of repeated pieces. I like to think that it was maybe a 3-nights rush and then forgot about it. It was a challenge given the company of my little boy  ~1.5 years old, avoiding noise while he was asleep as well protecting the choking hazard when he was awake.

• keys holder

It keeps the car keys in the same place optimizing departure time.

Being a Christian Catholic I created my own cross crucifix. Look at my Lego Technic Cross. For Christians this symbol suppose to be a wake-up gadget; an spiritual wake-up that is.

I think it’s only me who understands what this yellow thing is; I try to explain that it resembles a modern art approach to the crucifixion :

Taking Lego Beyond Plastic Pieces

Lego is a great analogy to life.

One’s life is composed of events and acts that resemble pieces to build. One can react madly rejecting the pieces or can manipulate the pieces to build a new thing. It’s a “challenge by choice”.  Although life doesn’t bring instructions like Lego sets, one can use some brains to structure as such.

Lego is quite a picture of the difference between homo sapiens [humans] to other animals, sensitive only animals. Rational animal like we humans, people, take pride of enjoying our sensitivity as well as controlling all our environment like a lego set requiring ~95 years to build. They say that people will never be like other animals, instead, we can only be worst or better. [Vatican Council II it’s a massive reference to this view of life].

Today’s reality of self historic identity and modern view of life is benefiting the Lego as a business; it’s demand is on the rise and the company has been audacious in taking advantage of the situation: take a snapshot at the financials for the 1st half of 2014 here.

I thank my family for driving my imagination towards Lego. My first and current family.