BY DAVY V.
When it comes to dealing with mental health, some people drink.
Others turn to drugs.
I do neither.
I like to ride my bicycles and build LEGO.
They're my two biggest outlets when it comes to my mental health.
They're my escape.
First, my bikes.
For many, including myself, a bicycle was the first taste of freedom they experienced as a child.
My first taste was in Miami, Florida in the 1970's.
I would do endless laps on our circular driveway while riding my Huffy bike.
But it wasn't until my parents made the biggest mistake of their lives, leaving beautiful Miami, and moving back to the dark, depressing and cold winters of Rochester, Now York, that I got to experience that freedom of being on a bike.
When school was in, every Saturday morning, me and a group of friends would ride out.
Now this was the 80's, so no phones, which meant that your parents didn't really have any idea where you were.
My mom thought I was down the street.
The truth was I was miles away.
You see, once I would be down n my bike, I'd not only lose sense of time, but also of distance, and we would ride out!
Like most kids growing up in the 70's and 80's, my parents pretty much gave me unlimited freedom.
The only condition my mom set was that she wanted me to be near our home, where she could see me, by the time the street lights came on.
And boy was my mom punctual.
As soon as those street lights came on, my mom would walk out on the porch, and shout "David!"
"I'm right here mami!," I would reply, usually from the driveway where I'd be sitting on my bike, resting after a long day of riding.
My Dad never really set any conditions, beyond reminding me to always stay safe and be mindful of cars.
So, with no rules and no real curfews,, except the street lights stipulation , this meant that every weekend, and every day when school was out, I had at least 12 hours of complete freedom on my bike.
And boy did I take full advantage of it!
Me and my friends went everywhere!
The Lake.
The woods.
And just about all the suburbs and nearby towns.
If there was a road, me and my friends were on it.
If there was a sidewalk, me and my friends were on it.
And if there was some bumpy, beat up dirt path running off into the woods, we were on it!
Long before I drove a car, I already knew my way around Rochester, New York and Monroe County.
Thanks to my bikes!
I miss those days so much.
No worries.
No financial responsibilities.
No social media.
NO DISTRACTIONS.
Just me and my bike.
It was a different time.
A time that for the most part is gone.
In the 1980's I couldn't wait to get out of the house and get on my bike.
Even during the school year, I would count down the seconds on the big round clock on my classroom wall in 3rd grade, knowing that as soon as that dismissal bell rang, I was only minutes away from walking home, which meant I was minutes away from getting on my bike!
Nowadays, it's completely different.
Kids are glued to their phones, tablets and video games, and most have little or no interest of even going outside.
And sadly, in many ways, parents are responsible for this, as they have become complacent and just accept it as the new norm.
In fact, whether they realize it or not, parents actually encourage and enable their kids staying indoors by constantly buying them video game consoles and video games..
it's sad.
Nowadays there are kids, as old as teenagers who never even learned how to ride a bike.
They're simply not interested.
As an adult, I ride my bikes every day, weather permitting.
And my love for bikes, has turned into a passion, and I have to be honest, a bit of an obsession.
I own 18 bikes, including several classics in next to new condition that I don't even ride.
But my bikes mean more to me than just being able to go for a ride.
My bikes have truly helped me when it comes to my mental health, including during very difficult periods in my life, losing loved ones.
Most recently my mother and my brother.
Getting on one of my bikes instantly transports me to a different place.
The moment I sit on one of my bikes and grab the handlebars, I get that feeling of freedom that I felt as a kid riding my Huffy bike in Miami or my Huffy Sigma and Schwinn Predator on Child Street in Rochester!
When it comes to my depression and anxiety, riding my bikes is like an escape, where at least for the time that I'm on that bike ride, my mind is free and relaxed!
Even when I'm not riding, my bikes relax me, as I'm constantly cleaning them, tuning them or modifying them with accessories.
Riding bikes really helps me with my mental health, not to mention the benefits it provides of staying in shape.
If you are dealing with mental health issues, I strongly encourage you to get a bike and feel that sense of freedom and escape!
Now, the LEGO.
As a kid I never played with LEGO.
My favorite toy as a child was Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars.
They still are to this day!
Then, around 25 years ago, my brother, an AFOL (Adult Fan Of LEGO) introduced me to LEGO by buying me a LEGO airplane set for my birthday.
And after building that set...
I WAS HOOKED!
My sons were never really into LEGO, but one day I introduced my daughter to LEGO's Friends line, and she loved them!
We would build LEGO sets together and it was so much fun.
And then before I even realized it, I was trying to buy every cool new LEGO set that came out.
And I have to admit, ever since then it has become a bit of a hoarding situation, oftentimes buying one to build and several more of the same set to put away for a rainy day, or a project which I'll tell you about in a bit.
Building and hoarding LEGO sets has been so much fun that one day I discovered what I call "freestyle building,", or what is commonly refereed to by LEGO enthusiasts as a MOC (My Own Creation).
Basically I have about 100 clear plastic storage bins full of loose LEGO.
LEGO Bricks and LEGO plates.
All colors and shapes.
I even have bins full of LEGO wheels and tires!
By the way, FUN LEGO FACT:
LEGO is the biggest tire manufacturer in the world!
LEGO makes between 300 and 700 million tiny rubber tires every year.
That's more than Goodyear, Michelin and Bridgestone combined.
Ok, back to LEGO.
Freestyle building.
One of the things I enjoy the most is opening up my LEGO bins, dumping out LEGO bricks, and just start building!
No manuals.
No building instructions.
JUST BUILD!
Don't get me wrong, building a LEGO set is fun.
But building your own, original LEGO creation from scratch takes it to a another level.
After my brother introduced me to LEGO, one of the things we would talk about was one day building a LEGO City full diorama display.
For those not familiar with LEGO, their CITY line of sets are modeled after city themes such as buildings, cars, construction vehicles, etc.
They even have a LEGO City Space line of sets which include all sorts of cool space vehicles.
Me and brother also planned to add a downtown to our LEGO City diorama, complete with LEGO modular buildings such as the town hall, cinema, cafe corner and more.
My brother passed away in September.
In his memory, I am still planning on building the LEGO City we always talked about, and I will name the city after him.
The LEGO City will also include tons of MOC creations, something my brother also enjoyed making.
I also plan on building a huge LEGO Star Wars diorama display.
My brother once joked about building a LEGO diorama so big that it would win the Guineas Book of World Records.
I just might do that and dedicate it to him as a thank you for introducing me to LEGO.
Thanks to my brother, LEGO has helped me with my mental health struggles.
Especially during a very difficult time since his passing.
And just like with my bikes, LEGO has provided me with an escape.
The same as when I'm riding my bikes, when I'm building a LEGO set, or building a LEGO MOC, I'm not thinking about anything else.
My focus is on building, and I'm in a relaxed zone.
In closing, I want to say this:
DO NOT ever let anyone put you down, or make fun of you when it comes to something you enjoy.
My ex once told me she thought it was silly for a grown man to play with LEGO.
Well, that's one of the reasons why she's my ex.
I think in a relationship it's very important that both people not only respect each other's interests and hobbies, but it's also important that they encourage and support each other's interests as well.
And if they don't, then perhaps you shouldn't be with that person.
Like we say in Spanish:
Mejor solo que mal acompañado.
Better off alone than in bad company.
Find what you love.
Find what you enjoy.
Have fun doing it!
Especially if it helps you when it comes to your mental health.
Like my bikes and my LEGO help me.
Until the next one, stay safe and take care.
