Have you "come out" as an AFOL?

[TitusV]

My condolences.

I never had to come out, I started with Lego when i was about 5, and just never stopped.

[Paul B Technic]

I find it easier now as the "LEGO hobby" has become more "mainstream" ;)

[Sven F]

It's much less of a problem that the hobby might be viewed as juvenile since that's a very positive trait in my view.

The judging part comes from spending money. Where i live, money is always short, the middle class is small compared to those apparently struggling day to day (not really, but that's how they see it). So when someone sees how much you spend on what's in their view useless plastic, you are stupid, because to them there are far more important things to spend on, like cigarettes, coffee and whatever other activity my fellow citizens are up to.

I don't hesitate to let anyone know about lego though, or that i am a feminist or that i speak a made up language with my plush teddy bear or whatever other detail might spark a moment of controversy in anyone's closed and cobwebbed mind.

[GallardoLU]

There was a time when I was given the "when are you going to grow up" every time I brought home more lego sets. after a few bouts like this with my parents I replied "I don't drink, don't do drugs, don't get into fights.... I work every day, I pay my own bills, and I'm going to school (college) how much more grown up do you want me to be?" since then no one has had an issue with it, and both my parents support the hobby (gifts are usually gift cards to lego or another toystore) married now and Lego is just a part of our day to day

[nerdsforprez]

Its funny..... having been a EB member for nearly 2 years now i have not really fully explored this part of the forums. Frequent Technic forum poster... but not often here. Yet, there are many good posts.

Love to hear what everyone else is saying and lots of wisdom here. I think it is important to try and dispel the negativity, if it exists, because, well, I wonder if sometimes it exists on our own heads but not others. Sometimes it does, and it is fun to show others how applicable Lego can be to adults.

I had a great experience several weeks ago to illustrate my point. I work as a doctor at a local hospital and the one night we had a cocktail party with a bunch of friends but also lots of people I did not know. Lots of very smart people around can be a little intimidating. We got talking, drinking, playing and having fun when (can't remember the topic of conversation) my wife let out that I still play with Lego. Everyone stared at me like I was an alien or something. So I called the host over and told me to grab a laptop computer for me. He did. I then began to youtube some of the amazing builds people had been doing over the last couple years. Many were amazed and completely changed their opinion. Still, there were some naysayers. So... I then youtube'd and flickr'd and mocpage'd etc..... technic contraptions and machines and the like and amazed even more people. I had many of the guys in the group googling on their own phones and even looking @ Lego.com at many of the sets they didn't even know existed. They were blown away with mindstorms. Many were even making purchases that night. For the remainder of the naysayers, I decided to talk money, and showed them brickpicker and bricklink. They were amazed that there were Lego sets going for thousands of dollars or single Lego elements (or even stickers) that were going for two--digit sums. By the end of the night..... I had EVERYONE looking @ lego in some way shape or form. We even had a little contest who could find the coolest video or invention or build.

Needless to say.... there were NO naysayers by the end of the evening. Sometimes, like has been shared by others in this post and others, the best way to beat stereotypes or pre-conceived notions is with cold hard evidence!