Bricks, Bumps, and Bruises

When you play with a bull, you're going to get bit. The same holds true of LEGO bricks- you'll likely sustain a minor injury at some point. That's why it's important to have Hello Kitty band-aids and Mr. Bump Cold Packs.

Although I've outgrown the ability to put a LEGO piece in my ear, over the past year I've managed to accumulate some scrapes from the bumpy bricks. And so here are my Top 5 LEGO-related injuries of the past year.

5. Studs in my feet. It's a classic, a cliche even, but it still hurts to step on an errant LEGO brick.

4. The pinch. Getting a fingertip caught between two bricks being snapped together. It would seem impossible, but the stinging sensation you feel lets you know it's all too real.

3. Web surfing. When raking my hands through a box, the sharp sides of LEGO have left a few scratches on the inner web between fingers. This must be what Jean Claude Van Damme felt when he dips his hands into the glass in Kickboxer.

2. Gimme Five. The palm equivalent of an ill-fated step, you can see stud impressions in your palm after pushing down on a brick.

1. Tongue Piercing. This one probably damaged my pride more than my physical being, but the edge of a slightly chewed LEGO element nicked my tongue and was all the reminder I needed not to put the plastic bricks in my mouth.

Photo by oskay.