Today is the day. We’re making a tower so high that I’m standing and leveled with my master piece.

It’s Friday and we’re ready to role. No time for wasted energy. Pop tarts is the fuel today. Scoop up my $1.25 + $.30 I found in my dad’s change basket for an ice cream sandwich. Gotta get that ice cream sandwich to treat myself. If I complete my building goal today.

Air brakes of the school bus sound off. I hurry off the bus. Speed walked, then sprinted in teacher blind spots to cut time to my classroom. Arrived in my classroom ready to build. 

Wait, someone is already building with the logs. I act cool and start to build beside h I’m . I slowly start acquiring more logs to my side to slow down the other kid’s building project. I have to meet my goal today. This kid must be a car rider or walker to beat me here. 

My progress is going well. Almost needing to standup to build to reach standing level log tower. However, my progress is starting to attract attention. The kid that beat to the classroom already to started to copy me. And logs started to become scarce. I didn’t have a ruler, but I eyeballed the height of his log tower. Then I knew I had to make a choice. 

I took a deep breath. And asked the kid, “are you making a tower too?” He said, my name is Adam, ya… I saw what you were building and wanted to do the same.” I asked Adam if he’d wanted to add his tower to mine. He was excited and said yes. Tower completed. 

I soaked in success. Ahh completion of my tower. Ice cream sandwich at lunch here I come!

And then SMASH. Clean up!

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Analysis: goal completed. But it came at a price. Shared glory. When I have a goal, I am tunnel visioned on the completion of that goal. I had clarity on my goal. My movement was purposeful. My pace against time was calculated. However, that only go me 80% of the way. The 20% to reach my goal came with humility and sharing.

Theory: a building, a house, any structure cannot be built by one. It takes one to be on point on their ability to accomplish their goal. Then understanding a goal will come with a point where you have to pivot and adapt. Was Adam obligated to share his logs? No. Could he have leveraged the value of his share of logs? Absolutely. Understanding when to take a loss and being respectful in order to accomplish a goal seems like common sense, but tough for some. Everyone wants to be a part of something or a purpose. Not to be forced into one.

Mission: unlock the possibilities of building log structures!

Back at it. I am now speed walking to my classroom to from the bus ramp. I came to build and I am all business. Ate my Corn Pops, drank my orange juice, and scooped up my $1.25 off the piano(cost of school lunch in 1998) I started my morning at home on point.

Walked in greeted my teacher, dumped the logs and got to stacking. Back to chest level and the boxy wall mounted TV turned on. Alright eye level, we are rolling. walked on my knees to get some logs to add levels to get above my head. And SMASH!

“Cleanup morning show is starting!”

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Analysis: okay credit to my knees in 3rd grade. Walking on my knees in shorts on carpet. I was resilient.

I really wish I could understand who put this kid in charge of initiating clean up by smashing my tower every morning. Other than that, I feel hopeful. I made it to eye level with the logs today. Props to me coming in fueled and on a mission. I believe my pace and energy added levels to tower today. Still no watch and same clock. But I used the TV being turned on as a trigger to gauge time.

Theory: The introduction to dedication and direction. This building session presented drive to be better than yesterday. Well fueled, mind focused on a goal and movement with purpose. The gauging of time is starting to adopted into building. In this situation I do not fully understand my time factor with limitations of reading time. Also, there is not a set time limit to playtime in the morning. 

Mission: keep building, I want to get to standing level in logs before clean up

I’m in 3rd grade and get to class straight from the school bus ramp. Class hasn’t started yet and we get to play before the morning show. This is the first time I laid eyes on this collection of toys.

They were in a cylinder container and had various sizes of wooden logs with notches in them. I start to notice that the notches in the wooden toy logs connect. And I wanted to build a tower. I started lining up logs and stacking them together. A simple design line up logs the same length and keep stacking them. I started building in an Indian style seated position to on my knees to level with my wooden tower.

I reach over to get more logs and SMASH. A classmate of mine says, “time to cleanup, morning show is starting!”

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Analysis: first off was the smashing of my tower necessary? Absolutely not.

Moving on, Lincoln logs, a simple concept of a toy. A variety of components, but enough main body parts to create a tower. The notches cut into the log, but varied in precision. But enough to stack. I started from classroom carpet to about mid chest level on my knees. Was this fun, yes it was fun. But time is limited, I’m not really good at telling time right now because I’m in 3rd grade and my classroom only has analog clock. Hopefully, I can acquire a Talkboy watch for Christmas from Santa to verify my building time capacity.

Theory: Just build. Everyone gets lost in the how and never build anything. Analysis paralysis. What materials? Do all the logs have the shade of brown? Which way is grain of the log? I completely understand time and costs. The glimpse of immediate desire to build was captured here.

Mission: build and keep building. I have to find a way to either build faster or know what time the morning show comes on.

Logsticks is based on nostalgic playtime in elementary school, playing with Lincoln logs.

Lincoln logs are lightweight miniature wooden logs with square notches used to build forts and buildings.

What if a whole imaginary civilization was created based on toy logs?

How would it start? What materials will be available? How long would it take to build? The questions would be endless?

The concept will start from ground zero to hopefully meet present day challenges.

The Challenge: playtime is only (30) minutes.

Logistics is the science of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of forces(FMF LCE Manual).

Early in my military career, I saw the value in supplies.

There’s a phrase “Without supply; bullets don’t fly.”

My interest in logistics varies from military supplies to the concept of lean manufacturing.

I have dealt with logistics in healthcare, military, and aviation.