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I think my "pre-baptising" sort of deal for my love of Middle-earth and fantasy worlds in general was the way I used to play when I was younger. Actually, my dad used to play with my brother and I quite often, and there were times when we'd do humongous (at least as I remember them) "set ups" that would spread through our living room or the downstairs room, or sometimes over both. We'd combine all sorts of toys, like Playmobil and Legos and Star Wars action figures, or sometimes Barbie dolls and large super hero figures (Barbie was always taller than the super heroes, though, which I guess might be why I hate it when women feel like they should be with men who are taller than them and when guys get all weird about tall women...well, that and I was taller than all the boys my age until they finally hit their growth spurts in late junior high and high school...but anyway...). My dad would even make things himself to look like various scenery. I'm sure it was all incredibly simple but it was so real to my brother and I back then.
And we'd...have adventures. Those "set ups" became little worlds to me, and I played as a character or characters, as a little Playmobil person or as Johnny Quest or Mara Jade or someone, and I loved being that character in that world. And I guess as we get older our worlds need to get a little more elaborate than Legos and Styrofoam and such.
I suppose that just the way I played as a child is behind my love of fantasy and particularly of such vastness as Middle-earth (and of roleplaying).
That was probably more information about my life than you needed, but it's all memorable stuff....
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