I got promoted recently. To celebrate, I bought myself a Lego set I’d been eyeing for a long time but couldn’t justify spending $300 on. This seemed as good an occasion as any.
So I made my way to the Lego store. The store was full of very excited kids, their parents, and a few grown-ups out to buy their own kits. (I’d love to identify as a kid, however, my lower back screams grown-up)
The Lego store is my happy place so I was happy to be just walking around, making a mental note of the lego kits I wanted (All of them) I saw this excited, bespectacled kid, not older than 7 dragging his very tired mother to the Space Shuttle Discovery display. His face was so close, his breath was fogging up the glass. His eyes were fixed on the shuttle as he rambled off all the facts he knew about it.
Few experiences in the world are as beautiful as watching a child talk about something they are passionate about. He politely asked his mom, “Can we pleassse get it?” His mother equally politely told him this set was for people aged 16 and up. The disappointment on his face was heartbreaking.
Now, this was the exact kit I intended to buy and I felt bad picking it up in front of him. I saw a few Space shuttle kits on the other side of the store so I went and grabbed it, feeling confident I’d sneaked past without the kid seeing me. As luck would have it he caught up with me in the check-out line.
He looked up at me, jaw wide open, and held his fist out. I bumped it and smiled. I wanted to tell him, “I’ve been you! I know exactly what you’re feeling. Soon you’ll be old enough and have your own money and no one can stop you from buying your favorite lego” I didn’t tell him that but I’d like to think in that moment he got it.
Life came full circle at that moment. I read this quote by Sahil Bloom and I’m trying my best to live my life with this philosophy "The only people you should try to impress are your 8-year-old self and your 80-year-old self"
This felt like one of those moments :)
I hope with all my heart this kid holds on to his love for space and legos and buys all the kits when he grows up.
I’m a nerd that’s fascinated with aviation and space and this is what it looks like!
Space Shuttle Discovery & Hubble Telescope