Spreading the word of your LEGO hobby

Lady Val · Post by **Lady Val** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 8:05 am

What is 8th Grade anyway?

Troy T. Moore · Post by **Troy T. Moore** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:36 am

I am creeping up on 32 yrs old. I am currently in school training to be a Liscensed Practical Nurse. I am the only male in my class. Many of my classmates are aware of my obsession, er...hobby. Some say nothing, some think it's awesome. In fact this one lady I sit beside in class starts telling me about he "calico kitten" collection and her "Mattel's littles" collection. Like how she likes to take the kittens and rearrange them, etc. So it can be used as an "ice breaker" and help other people that have "childish" hobbies to feel comfortable.

Other than the excessive spending that I do at times my wife likes my hobby. It involves my two children, and takes place right in our home. I don't golf, drink, smoke,gamble or watch TV. I spend a bit too much time on the internet sometimes (especially at Classic-castle.com

) Lego builds your mind, allows you to see in 3D (spatial relations)

For you young one's, whichever group you are in, I do not envy the peer pressure that there is for anything, let alone your Lego hobby. Be real, be yourself, otherwise people won't know the real you. Being uber macho and all that doesn't matter when you get into the real world (not the biosphere of high school). The "cool" people from when I was in school are now invisible, people even forget who they were, it's fleeting.

doctorsparkles · Post by **doctorsparkles** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 1:21 pm

Lady Val wrote:What is 8th Grade anyway?

The eighth year of grammar school (not including preschool and kindergarten, because those aren't always mandatory) in the American school system. It is immediately followed by 4 yeras of high school, and then finally college. I don't know if it's set up similarly anywhere else in the world.

Post by **Formendacil** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 2:44 pm

doctorsparkles wrote:
Lady Val wrote:What is 8th Grade anyway?
The eighth year of grammar school (not including preschool and kindergarten, because those aren't always mandatory) in the American school system. It is immediately followed by 4 yeras of high school, and then finally college. I don't know if it's set up similarly anywhere else in the world.

Yup. And that somewhere is Canada. Same system, down to the preschoolers...

Of course, I've spent nine of those grades (going into a tenth) as home-schooler. You don't get picked on for your Lego habit as a Grade 1er or 2er. Once Grade 3 roled around, I was out of there....

I have been free ever since.

Sorta...

Maybe.... :|

Okay, not really.

Still, I have plenty of time for Lego, and no reason to hide it.

Lady Val · Post by **Lady Val** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 6:14 pm

doctorsparkles wrote:The eighth year of grammar school (not including preschool and kindergarten, because those aren't always mandatory) in the American school system. It is immediately followed by 4 yeras of high school, and then finally college. I don't know if it's set up similarly anywhere else in the world.

Certainly nothing like our UK system. Here were start Primary school aged five and this lasts for seven years. Then we go to Secondary school at age 11-12 for six years, then higher education like University. There are various forms of preschool education as well.

I was actually trying to think like-for-like, and phrased my question badly. What age are people in 8th grade?

Daimyo · Post by **Daimyo** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 6:39 pm

Lady Val wrote:
doctorsparkles wrote:The eighth year of grammar school (not including preschool and kindergarten, because those aren't always mandatory) in the American school system. It is immediately followed by 4 yeras of high school, and then finally college. I don't know if it's set up similarly anywhere else in the world.
Certainly nothing like our UK system. Here were start Primary school aged five and this lasts for seven years. Then we go to Secondary school at age 11-12 for six years, then higher education like University. There are various forms of preschool education as well.

I was actually trying to think like-for-like, and phrased my question badly. What age are people in 8th grade?

13-14 years of age.

TwoTonic Knight · Post by **TwoTonic Knight** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 6:44 pm

Lady Val wrote:What is 8th Grade anyway?

The grade that follows 7th and preceeds 9th?

My son is 13 and is entering 8th grade, which sums it up best without going into Middle Schools, Junior Highs, curriculum, etc (not to mention the apparently archaic Ohio schools that still include 8th grade as elemetary school and are rarer and not the norm!). Children are usually, but not exclusively, 13 when entering and 14 when exiting 8th grade.

Sorry for the non-Lego content.

J1A3L5 · Post by **J1A3L5** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 6:51 pm

Getting back to the topic of telling others about the LEGO Hobby:

I'm very undecided about it. I would very much like everyone to know, yet too afraid of the reaction I'd get. (I really don't need to be seen as geeky, strange, or anything more than I already am.)

Some people do, or did know about it. Obviously when I was in elementary school (I'm going into 11 this schoolyear) most kids were into LEGO, so it was nothing strange. Then as they all lost interest only my friends who now seem to have disappeared still knew about it when they came over to my house or something. Then one girl who I was really good friends with I had problems with, so we never even talk anymore basically, but she was fairly interested in lego too. So that was cool.

I have, accidently have people find out about it, they're all had fairly good reactions. One girl thought my ISD was the coolest thing ever, a couple other kids thought it was pretty cool I still was interested and stuff. I still can't get the guts to make it widely known. Although there is a fair that goes on every Fall - The Fall Fair. They have contests too, and always have a LEGO category. I'm quite tempted to enter, although I don't think there are any prizes. That would definately make it known, too, as it is a big deal.

So I guess I don't go out of my way to tell others about it, but that doesn't mean they don't find out sometimes.

Jojo · Post by **Jojo** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 7:00 pm

Hello!

When I was your age I didn't want anybody but my best friend to know that I regularly played with LEGO and I fully understand your concerns. I never was amongst the cool guys nor have I even tried to gain the cool boys' friendship nor was I even interested in the cool things nor were my friends that I had (and still have today!) too cool to accept my kind of childish hobby. Still I didn't even want to take the risk to be laughed at or to be taken for ...er... retarded or something like that.

Nowadays all my friends know that I am a fan of LEGO and they like what I am doing. I'm not sure they fully understand, though :-)
Anybody else who is not my friend may know it or may not know it, that doesn't matter. When I'm asked in a shop if I want the LEGO set that I'm about to buy to be wrapped as a gift I answer "no thanks, that's personal requirements." Do I care for random persons' image of me?

Bye
Jojo

Lady Val · Post by **Lady Val** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 7:30 pm

TwoTonic Knight wrote:
Lady Val wrote:What is 8th Grade anyway?
The grade that follows 7th and preceeds 9th?

Ho ho ho...well I asked for that one didn`t I?

I`m reading all these responses and wondering if there are many more secret Lego fans out there than any of us ever dreamed of? Except they are all too scared to "come out"?

wlister · Post by **wlister** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 7:30 pm

I was never one of the "popular" kids back when I was in school, but I didn't need to worry about peer pressure all that much, I was a hockey player and what I did during the off-season was my business.

I bought Lego quite happily back then and even flirted with the girls at the counter when I did it. Fun times...

Now all I have to deal with is an exasperated wife who is a little tired of my organization project in the living room. One more week and it should be done.

Will

Emperor James · Post by **Emperor James** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 7:36 pm

Indeed, Daimyo seems to be alone in beeing/having been "popular" here.

doctorsparkles · Post by **doctorsparkles** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 9:24 pm

Nobody at school really ever knew about my Lego hobby after 8th grade, but even if they had, they knew better than to mess with me. After all, I was a lot smarter than most of them, and if I wasn't going to help them pass chemistry, who would? Besides, even for a skinny guy, I look rather imposing in a long leather jacket and combat boots.
Now that those tactics no longer work, I'm reluctant to bring up my hobby. Still, the worst reactions I get when I do let it be known are rolled eyes and the comment "You seriously play with Legos?" Even then, it's eventually followed up with "Legos are sweet, dude. I used to have tons of them when I was a kid."

xxbattosaixx · Post by **xxbattosaixx** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 9:37 pm

Bah,I let people know.I can't get any Geekier than I already am.In fact,I take geek as a compliment.

J1A3L5 · Post by **J1A3L5** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 9:46 pm

Jojo wrote: When I was your age I didn't want anybody but my best friend to know that I regularly played with LEGO and I fully understand your concerns. I never was amongst the cool guys nor have I even tried to gain the cool boys' friendship nor was I even interested in the cool things nor were my friends that I had (and still have today!) too cool to accept my kind of childish hobby. Still I didn't even want to take the risk to be laughed at or to be taken for ...er... retarded or something like that.

Glad there's an AFOL who was once the same, many I know disagree. You mentioned "taken for ...er... retarded or something like that." That's the one thing I'm not afraid of - I'm regarded as being one of the 'smartest' kids in the school. Not sure if I agree or not, as I don't really think a whole lot of myself in most instances, but I am a straight A student, and really do get the highest marks in most of my classes. I just guess I'm afraid of being even more of a 'loner' or whatever than I am now.

Jojo also wrote wrote:Nowadays all my friends know that I am a fan of LEGO and they like what I am doing. I'm not sure they fully understand, though
Anybody else who is not my friend may know it or may not know it, that doesn't matter. When I'm asked in a shop if I want the LEGO set that I'm about to buy to be wrapped as a gift I answer "no thanks, that's personal requirements." Do I care for random persons' image of me?

I agree, when I go into a store that I know no one around will know me, or never even see me again, I really don't care. Occassionally I'll meet a parent with a younger kid with them, and then I end up explaining that I'm looking for a specific set or something, and end up telling them about what I do. Usually the parent is extremely interested and ends up making a comment like "You mean all this money I'm spending right now...it might not be forgotten the second he leaves elementary school?"

Lady Val wrote:I`m reading all these responses and wondering if there are many more secret Lego fans out there than any of us ever dreamed of? Except they are all too scared to "come out"?

I believe so. There was a girl who used to be a very good (One of my only) friends, who was greatly interested in LEGO. She was always more boy-like than girl-like - She hated all the girl-LEGO and loved pirates. Her older sister even more so, and she never 'grew out of them', even 2-3 years ago me and my friend would be building something and her sister who was in grade 11-12 at that time would come in and build something that amazed us. I bet she would still be interested, if something would make her think about it. As for the friend...well we don't even talk anymore, we had lots of problems, she decided she had to be more 'normal' sort of, and that's about it.

So I think there are out there who are interested, or would be interested if they realized what LEGO could be to them, and had something to spark their curiousity about it.