A bucket of bricks, a galaxy restored

In 1980, I had a large work bucket filled with the most magnificent items. I took this bucket with me to all my important destinations and meetings.

Whether I was heading to Panama City Beach, visiting my grandparents, or going to a friend’s house, the bucket accompanied me. Inside were the tools of childhood imagination, and once the bucket was turned upside down, the creative possibilities were endless. It held knights and dragons ready for battle, fire trucks to save the day, and spaceships to explore the universe.

However, there was also a good chance that someone would experience intense foot pain if they stepped into my path — after all, that bucket contained my collection of Legos.

Lego bricks were created by Ole Kirk Christiansen, a Danish carpenter who founded the company in 1932. He held a contest among his staff to name the toys and submitted his own entry. In true CEO fashion, he chose his own suggestion as the winner. The name “Lego” has since become a massive part of global culture, evolving from a simple toy line to Hollywood blockbusters, video games, and amusement parks.

The name Lego derives from the Danish phrase “leg godt,” meaning “play well.” The Lego enterprise generates over $10 billion in sales worldwide each year, making it the largest toy company on Earth.

I eventually retired the bucket in the mid-80s as heavy metal, friends, and video games took precedence in my life. However, the memories of creating entire universes with those thousands of pieces lingered on.

A few years ago, while collecting toys for the Tree House Kids Shelter (Happy 20th anniversary!), I stared in awe at one of the Star Wars Lego sets. I felt the same excitement when I spotted Lego sets at Walgreens while running errands. The first Lego movie also reignited interest in Lego, proving to be a fantastic film that struck tiny brick gold.

In Florida, Legoland is a major attraction. Just when it seemed Polk County couldn’t get any more awesome, the 150-acre Legoland theme park opened there in 2011. The park provides over 1,000 full- and part-time jobs, and it attracts more than 2 million guests annually. Despite layoffs in recent years, Legoland remains a popular destination.

Last Christmas, the Lego Overlords, with the help of the Galactic Senate, gifted me the ultimate super geek present: a CR90 corvette-class starship named Tantive IV, produced by the Corellian Engineering Corporation. This ship, used by the House of Organa from the planet Alderaan for diplomatic missions, later became a blockade runner in the early rebellion against the Galactic Empire.

For any non-Star Wars fans, I’m referring to the ship in the opening scene of the first movie (1978), where Darth Vader boards it and kills everyone — Princess Leia’s ship, and in my case, the Lego version consisting of 1,800 pieces.

Lego is also fostering competition in the Sunshine State with a contest called the Junior Galaxy Explorer’s Search, which kicked off in Miami late last year at the Miami Children’s Museum. Four young Floridians, who are among this year’s winners, were announced this month. These creative kids will get to ride the new Galacticoaster, opening at Legoland on Feb. 27. The coaster features 1,500 feet of track and takes riders on a journey through space in their own Lego spacecraft.

Legos and the Lego Universe have evolved dramatically since the castle sets I remember.

The complexity of current designs rivals what I imagine a physics class would cover. The design process for my Tantive IV has taken a month, and the 225-page instruction manual nearly deterred me. I had to channel my inner Rocky Balboa to tackle that first page.

But after a couple of hours each weekend, accompanied by the sounds of John Coltrane and Hank Mobley, Tantive IV is finally coming to life.

The recommended age of 12 and up might also be raised to 21 and up — preferably with a four-year degree and relevant experience in starship building.

The sound, texture, and thrill of pouring that bucket out onto the beautiful green carpet in Panama City were something special. Add Saturday morning cartoons blaring on the 8-inch Sony TV, a can of 7UP, and a bowl of Cookie Crisp, and you might just have the perfect life moment. Those golden memories returned to me this year through Leah and her super cool ship, Tantive IV. For that, I thank Kirk Christiansen. I might even suggest that Lego create a line of safety slippers to prevent stepping on a Lego in the dark — avoiding foot trauma at dawn. And dare I consider another build? This one boasts 5,000 pieces.

We’ll see what happens.

Tune in next time to find out if the Tantive IV marks the beginning or the end of my 45-year Lego journey.