What did one brick say to the other as it hugged him? LEGO!

A fun fact about my Peter that some may not know is that he loves Legos. When he was in High School he taught a Lego class to kids in the community in Seattle, and at his parents' house he has gallons of Legos with which he has built incredible amounts of Lego sculptures and artwork.

Before meeting Peter I had no idea that Legos could be so exciting for some. To me what were little coloured bricks that children played with, and that could be used as torture weapons if left on the floor to be stepped on, are to others a part of a fantastic lifestyle which is not to be overlooked. 

Knowing this about my husband, and that here he has none of his Legos with him, I was excited for his birthday to come up so I could get him a good kit of coloured plastic joy. The day before his birthday I told Peter we needed groceries, and that I would go to Walmart after work to get them. I figured my task would be a simple one, and that I could be in and out of the superstore within an hour. 

OH YOU FOOLISH WOMAN WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMPLEX WORLD OF LEGOISM. 

I arrive at the Lego isle to find myself surrounded by hundreds of kits with special pictures and instructions of exactly what you can build with them. 

"THIS WON'T DO!" I scream internally, "HE'LL BUILD THIS IN A MOMENT, THEN WHAT WILL HE HAVE?! NOTHING BUT HOBBIT/STAR WARS/LEGO MOVIE/DC/MARVEL THEMED BRICKS!"

To me, an uncultured and informed woman, these kits seem infuriating because they are so inflexible; there is only so much you can build with so specifically intended designs, and the last thing I want to do is limit my sweet husband's creativity. That being said, it is my quest to find Lego for Peter, and I will accomplish this. After pacing up and down the isle for what seems like hours, but is really only 15 minutes, two boys of about eight or nine come browsing and gasping over sets. At the risk of seeming like a predator I approach them. 

"So, uh," I begin smoothly, "which one of these kits is the best?" 

"The best?" one of them asks

"Yeah, like, which one would you most want?" 

"They're all good." he responds, before turning back to gush over what ever kit they were investigating. 

"'THEY'RE ALL GOOD?'" I want to scream, "BUT WHAT IF HE DOESN'T WANT TO BUILD THE ONE I CHOOSE?!" 

Foiled by these children whose parents have clearly taught them the reality of stranger danger, I go back to my pacing. I eventually choose a DC set with Batman, Flash, and the Riddler. Peter is thrilled. 

However, my assumptions that these kits are a one-trick pony are accurate, and I notice my lil' husband stops playing with his creations shortly after his birthday. 

Yesterday I had a CPI training in Honolulu less than a mile from the only Lego store on Oahu. Certain that this store will have all of my answers, I go immediately after the training. 

"Do you like Lego?" I demand of a teenaged worker standing by the entrance

"Yes," he responds. 

"But do you like like Lego? Are you serious about Lego, or is this only a job to you?" 

"I like Lego," he assures me, laughing now, but cautiously, probably realizing that he's dealing with a deranged woman looking for a Lego coffin set to stow her latest murder victim. 

"I need your help," I say, refusing to be foiled by the Lego world again. 

I explain to him I need versatile bricks, that my sweet Lego-deprived husband has nothing and I need to get something he can build everything with, and he guides me to a yellow tub with 607 pieces inside, as well as to a pick-n'-mix wall where you can fill a cup with as many pieces as possible for a flat price. Seeing that the yellow tub is the last one in the store, I cling to it like a life preserver and begin pacing up and down the wall, determined to get as many useful bricks as possible. Of course, to me, nothing makes sense and I find myself demanding "what is this! Is this useful? Is this fun?" while shoving various pieces in front of shoppers' faces while they attempt to fill their own cup. 

Eventually another shop assistant comes to help me, most likely in an attempt to get me away from the other costumers, and I leave the store, a collection of Legos now in my possession. 

There is so much I still have to learn, but at least Peter has a much better starting kit, and I get to smile while I watch him Gollum-crouch as he builds his masterpieces.