Krista Ramsey Column: "Locking Into the Magic of Legos"

This column article is about the strange infatuation that kids have with Legos, even today, when video games and electronic devices are more popular.

Hyperlink: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/krista-ramsey/2014/02/15/krista-locking-into-the-magic-of-legos/5521245/

"The first time a kid constructs a new set, he'll sit on the floor, contents before him, and pore over the instruction booklet spread out before him" (Ramsey). This line is very well-written because it describes the concentration that a small child has when playing with Legos. The diction and syntax in this line implies that the child is completely focused and immersed in the toy, and builds the blocks with determination, as he "pores over the instruction booklet spread out before him."

Ramsey's writing style seems to be trying to relate to something that we have all observed before, whether it is a teenager hunched over a phone, people dressing more casually than is appropriate, or a small child playing with Legos, it is an image that most people are accustomed to seeing, and will help the people understand the article better. For example, in her article about cell phones and eyesight: "You see it all the time. Your teenager at the dinner table, waiting for his checkup at the orthodontist’s office, sauntering to his car – continually hunched over his smartphone or iPad" (Ramsey). Ramsey purposefully puts the familiar image in our heads to make her article more relatable. Or, in her article about dressing up: "It’s a hopeful sign in a nation that now accepts flip-flops and jeans as appropriate wear for weddings, graduations, awards banquets and funerals. At work, “Casual Fridays” have morphed into sundresses and golf shirts every day. And almost no one dresses up any more for things that were once considered something of an event – dinner at a nice restaurant, religious services, plane flights" (Ramsey). Most people have seen someone, or have been guilty of dressing way too casually for any sort of event, and the author puts that image in our minds to make her point. This can also be seen in her article about Legos: "Then feet will pad up the basement stairs to show parents what's been created. And they'll pad right back down to tear it apart and move on to freestyle" (Ramsey). Many people are familiar with the way that small children play with Legos, and the processes the go through when recieving a new set. This serves as proof that Legos, at this time period, are still very popular.

If I were to meet Krista Ramsey, I would ask her these three questions: Have you always wanted to be a writer? Are there any components of an article that you always include? How was your high school experience?