Locomotion

A bought me Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel, Persepolis, for my birthday a few months ago. I just completed the book. This book is insightful, funny, odd-ball, coming-of-age, idealistic and profound. Satrapi's biography is unusual because it takes place in Iran and it is unapologetic about the circumstances in which she is born since she is of the mind that it is absolutely normal. Reading it gave me pause since there are many moments in which I couldn't believe the circumstances in which she was being raised, while recognizing that she would think the exact same thought of my upbringing. The most refreshing component of the novel was it's authenticity. I'm not entirely sure how Satrapi does it, but her raw view of the world as she was raised is sincere while fractured. Death is normal, testing authority is required, survival is essential while risk is equally thrown into the mix. All this in a comic. She is also incredibly self-deprecating and downright funny.

Bottom line, stay true and damn the veil.

A while back my parents got a hold of a Lego Duplo train set for Birdie. Along with lego train tracks, vehicles and people are pieces that can be made to act as bridges or stations. Birdie not only enjoys it but is enchanted by it. The first time after we set up the scene and later proceeded to dismantle the tracks, I thought her response would be complete meltdown. Instead her reaction was intruiged and curious. What could we build now?

It was then that I rediscovered... she and I are blood.

I love Lego. I could never get enough. You know how there are girls out there who play secretly with Barbies a bit longer than they should? With me, it was Lego.

I recall unusually cooperative scenes between me and my sister on Sunday mornings, playing Lego in the early hours after waking. We did so under the auspice of not waking my parents (because I imagine that we were their morning alarm on any other day) so as to avoid a trip to church. One out of three times, it worked. I think we could play Lego, building and rebuilding our hospital room set in a variety of ways for upwards of four hours. The occasions my dad figured our scheme out were not well received, but he had his reasons. We had ours.

So, we're back in Legoland and it's still way cool.

For that reason, I can't wait until Christmas.