LEGOS

Less than three years ago, my inner control-freak fought desperately against the influx of those tiny little plastic pieces pouring into my house. Luke begged for just one Star Wars Lego set. He told me that if he could have just the one Brickmaster set that he would be completely happy and would never ask for another. I relented not because I actually thought that he would never ask for another Lego set, but because I know Luke. When he gets into something, he dives in completely to the exclusion of every other activity. I've always like his intensity when it comes to his interests in hobbies.

So, he was surprised when he did get that Star Wars Brickmaster set a few years ago. He was pretty sure that I was adamantly against the Lego and I just wasn't going to give in. I know that I unleashed more of his obsession by opening the door just a little bit. Of course, he started collecting mini-figures and then he started making cute little stop motion films with his Legos. We became overrun with Lord of the Rings, Avengers, Star Wars, and Castle Lego sets until the beginning of last year.

As quickly as his obsession started it, it ended. He stopped asking (begging) to go to the Lego store. The other day we found ourselves at the Lego store hoping that they still carried Hogwarts Castle, but it seems that all Harry Potter themed Legos have been discontinued (at least for now). He didn't seem excited about these little plastic pieces anymore and after all my fighting against them, I found myself hoping he would use that gift card that had been sitting in his wallet for almost a year. I hoped he would get inspired to build something and make another movie. He didn't.

I knew that it wasn't about the Legos. I knew that I was desperately just trying to hold onto what's left of my not-so-little boy which is about as easy as finding all those rogue Legos in my house.

Last night, Sam asked Luke if he would help him put together the Lego he got for Christmas. It was nice to see them working together even if it's sad that it's an end of an era for Luke. This is not unlike when I saw his four year obsession with dinosaurs wane or when his obsession with collecting Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes books ended or when he ran out of ideas for his own comic strip.

I wonder what's next for him.