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Quote:

Originally Posted by John Dixon

Mike,

I appreciate your reply, but I hope you can return with a more concise version.

At the upper "levels" of bonsai, I can somewhat follow your philosophy, but I have to wonder:

Are you pursuing your life the way you pursue bonsai ,or do you pursue bonsai the way you pursue your life?

To me bonsai is a part of my life, but without bonsai my life would go on. Therefore bonsai is secondary, no matter how much I enjoy it. The two cannot be reversed, because without life there is no bonsai. I have respect for your remarks, but I have to believe that good, even great, bonsai is made by those who have other interests in life. To dwell completely and utterly on bonsai is not possible for me. I can, however, try to understand how others believe it can be done, even if I don't agree.

Thanks for your time,

John

John, to illustrate further, I also tell people; "Stamp collecting is a hobby, because you can put it away and ignore it for as long as you want, and it will still be there when you take it out". Bonsai, much like animal husbandry, requires daily attention. When you go away for any period of more than 2 days or so, arrangements must be made for someone to come in and water.
A serious commitment must be in place for there to be any success.

Mike