“If it’s a second childhood, it’s here.”
John Sparks, “Sparky,” is sharing that second childhood with his neighbors at Traditions of Lebanon through both hemispheres of his brain.
With his left, the area that specializes in logic and math, this former Air Force Senior Staff Engineer and professor systematically builds intricate Lego sets. He is quick to share that it is “great for motor skills and following directions.” NASA rovers, shuttles, and vases of flowers are exhibited throughout the common spaces at Traditions of Lebanon. His passion for space aligns perfectly with his wedding date, eight days prior to the first manned lunar landing, and the current address of his community, Neil Armstrong Way.
While the holiday sculptures are carefully packed away in tubs in his garage, Sparky is already planning the Easter display for the lobby. He has completed two churches and a mini Notre Dame, but his latest piece will be two interlocking stained-glass windows.
All of this started at the age of seven with American Bricks and ELGO, an interlocking toy brick set started in the late 1930s, pre-LEGO. His dad, another engineer, introduced the toy to him, and he built sets through high school.
Fast-forward a bit and a third generation got into the building game. His youngest son received Legos and Lego Technics from his grandmothers, and the two generations built sets through his son’s college years.
About a decade ago, Sparky brushed off his Lego skills by starting with something small, a 9,090-piece, 57-inch Titanic, now on display at his son’s home. After the passing of his wife, he moved to Traditions of Lebanon and now shares his passion, including investing in rainbow Lego rulers as an activity for all.
But Sparky does not rely only on his left hemisphere. His creative right brain is also at work, writing hundreds of poems, compiled in a self-published book, Ohio Greene. This generous-hearted gentleman does not keep them to himself, just as he does not keep the Legos he shares with the broader community.
A recent “double limerick” he wrote for a staff member on her birthday:
To Carrie now thirty and eight
Who garnishes every plate
With happiness aplenty,
And teaspoons of honey
To all, whether grumpy,
Gloomy, or spunky…
Plus a dash of her ornery
When faced with one snippy,
Or catty, just obstinate!
It’s hard to envision life inside a Traditions Senior Living Community. We try with images and descriptions of lively activities and shared, warm meals, but it’s the individuals who make it special. Our sincere gratitude to John Sparks and all the residents who turn buildings into homes.
