The Missing Pieces

Whenever I have an idea or inspiration to build LEGO structures or take photographs using minifigures, I often find myself digging my box for the pieces that I want. I do not have a proper display case for them and I firmly believes that there is no use to exhibit them behind glass cases as I would take them out most of the times anyway for my photography. The idea of painstakingly rearranging them in a specific post is discomforting. Thus, I would rather have them sorted out in a box, a la minifigures, accessories and bricks.

Given the confined spaces of my boxes, some pieces would detach or fell apart whenever I attempt to dig up pieces at the bottom of the box. My clumsy hands inadvertently crumple the adjacent models. What I mean by models are like Snaily here. 

Consequently, during one of my building frenzies, I could literally spend a good two to three hours creating a LEGO-esqued scene because most of my time is wasted on finding those detached pieces which for some reason, always end up at the bottom of the box.

It is extremely frustrating as these pieces are minuscule. The situation becomes more dire when it comes to minifigures. At times, I would purposefully detach their tiny hands or legs so that I can create an original persona. Given my lack of fondness for all things meticulous, I would unknowingly drop these pieces into the seemingly giant boxes. The next time I try to reuse the same pieces, I have to go through the trouble of finding them. It doesn't help when they camouflage themselves with the other pieces, escaping detection.

There are times when these pieces could not be located at all. Even to the point of dumping out all the pieces, the intended ones still elude me. It is moments like this that I turn myself into a panicky White Rabbit and I would frantically search every nooks and crannies of my room for them. You know it's serious when droplets of sweat starts to soak your forehead and your shirt in an air-conditioned room. Tolerance fades away and annoyance worry and restlessness become your unwanted companions. Meanwhile, nothing will soothe your mind until you find those missing pieces. It will come to a point that it's futile to even continue. I end up lying on my mattress, thinking could I have accidentally lost the piece the last time I used it for photography outside.

All seem lost until I fumble among the pile of LEGO and there it is. The pieces I want have been hiding in plain sight. Letting a sigh of relief, I happily resume the building process, albeit the huge mess I have to clean up.

It is easy to think that things we are looking for go missing all the time when instead they have always been there. No intrusion, no theft but merely hiding in plain sight. We find them missing because we never truly appreciate them until we need them. I admit, I have yearned for the adoration of my students, carefully making sure that they get what they want while maintaining a certain level of discipline and boundary. I always thought that the pieces connecting me and my students are missing but instead, they have always been there. I found out about this when one of my students teared up in my last class with him, saying that he will miss me. I was touched. I supposed I have been focusing too much on making them happy with me that I didn't really focus on them.

So, appreciate the people around you and they will never become those missing pieces that you need to find.