IMG_6612I have been trying to think of ways to describe the unique sound of a plastic cascade of Lego tumbling from its appropriate receptacle onto the floor. If you’re a parent or like me, a childhood afficianado of Lego, you know what I’m talking about. There is no other sound like it. It likely strikes fear into the heart of the parent who obsesses over a tidy household, but for me it strikes a chord of joy.

I loved Lego as a kid and was the proud owner of garbage pail full of thousands of bits and pieces. I don’t know how many hours I spent on the living room floor constructing imaginary empires of small plastic Danish blocks. The first time I heard the distinctive Lego sound in my own house, happy memories of those long gone hours came flooding back. We had bought Boy Z a box full of used Duplo for his second birthday on eBay. Used because, well have you seen the price of that stuff new?

He didn’t get into the Lego much straightaway, but in the last few weeks he’s been pulling it out on a daily basis. That crashing cascade of Lego is almost always followed by a hopeful request to help him build houses. And I am overjoyed to serve as an assistant contractor. I don’t like to shill for any product, but Lego is a springboard for an active imagination. I love to watch him starting to put together elaborate scenarios as we build more and more intricate houses, towers and castles. This is the stuff that makes all those 2 a.m. wakeup calls worthwhile.

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I’m thinking that A Free Man has reached its sell-by date. Posts have been sparse around here of late. That isn’t because I’m suffering from writer’s block or that I’ve run out of things to write about, it’s because I’ve run out of things that I’m comfortable about writing in this forum. Despite it’s apparent anonymity, too many people know who I am – family, high school acquaintances, annoyingly determined students (shouldn’t you guys be studying for that exam?). Apparently you can type my first name, my city of residence and my job into Google and this is the first hit.

I’ve been struggling with this for some time and I think I’ve finally come up with a solution – a new blog. A secret little box for all the things I can’t write here. I know, I know. I can barely get a post a week up over here, but I’d like to think that with a mask I’ll be able to be a bit more prolific. I guess we’ll see.

I’m not shutting this site down, I’m just going to keep it as what it was originally intended to be. An innocuous Daddy Blog. I’m not going to link to or publicise the new site, that would rather defeat the purpose. You can ask for the new address, but don’t be offended if I don’t give it to you. That likely means that I know you in real life or like you too much to let you in on the darker corners of my mind.

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I have no idea where I got this Decemberists cover of Malvina Reynolds’ “Little Boxes”, but it featured on the opening credits of the wonderful “Weeds” – a show to which Dr. O’C and I have become addicted.

 
icon for podpress  Decemberists "Little Boxes" [2:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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