I would like to ask for some honest and objective feedback to a subject that causes me great concern.

Does your life revolve around bonsai?

I ask this question because I have seen several posts recently that really in-grain how some people view bonsai.

I guess it's best for me to give my personal viewpoint so what I'm asking about is clear (hopefully). I love bonsai. I enjoy the pursuit and expend a lot of my off-time in the endeavor. I read EVERYTHING about bonsai I can get my hands on. I go into Lowe's or Home Depot and still can't get away from "looking" at the mallsai. When I go on vacation, I am looking at trees that inspire to create bonsai in - oh boy, here it goes - emulation of nature. Sitting in traffic, I look at trees that I've passed thousands of times and never noticed. Still, I don't "LIVE" for bonsai. I have a life outside of it. When I attend bonsai shows, workshops, etc., not only do I enjoy them, I enjoy the people. We don't just discuss bonsai exclusively. We talk about other aspects of life. Their families, careers, hobbies, pets, and even religion. I like the overall sum of their parts. I mean really, at a bonsai show or workshop we can safely conclude that we have a mutual interest in little trees. The vast majority of the conversations should be structured around bonsai, but not exclusive to it, in my opinion.

Am I in the minority in this? I ask this sincerely because I have witnessed some very passionate out-bursts from some who don't seem to share that viewpoint. I want to know if I am misreading them.

I've always believed that a good personality is ever-present in the best teachers. To make something enjoyable while you learn makes it "stick". Enjoyment is a great motivator to make one listen. In the law field, I know some extremely well-versed individuals who could not share that knowledge if their life depended on it. They are just sponges for information, not disseminators of it. A short time in their presence is enough, more becomes irritating. A tragic irony of being a source of priceless information, but not having the ability to share it.

When bonsai is no longer "enjoyable", I personally lose interest. I also believe that complete and total immersion in a subject has to be short-term. To continue, ad infinitum, in that situation causes you to lose the personal touch. People just don't relate with you. A little humor or off-subject conversation helps to form rapport. Without it, the conversation becomes dry lecture. As an individual, I don't feel I improve my skills (or rarely teach them) without some idea of the personalities around me. I'm not trying to imply there aren't times to be serious. Certainly to attain skill you must apply yourself, but it doesn't need to be at the cost of losing one's personality. Quite frankly, I think personality is one of the most important factors in producing inspiring bonsai. Without feeling, the greatest of technical skills will only produce hollow results.

People who are on "high alert" all the time, will burn out quickly. Ever been around a bunch of them? Most quickly learn to enjoy life, because they realize how quickly it can end. Those that don't, usually find out the hard way. Bonsai is an endeavor that, I believe, has to be enjoyed not just "mastered". I pity the individuals who have lost sight of that. They feel they are the at the pinnacle and, intellectually, maybe they are; but have they attained that level at the cost of happiness, nay enjoyment? In some cases, I suspect that is true.

I hope any involvement I have with others, here and with other bonsai forums, is positive and fun. I mean no disrespect to others with any remarks I make, but I feel to be taken seriously you can't take yourself too seriously. Let's have fun with bonsai.

Best regards to all,

John

__________________
John Dixon

Si vis pacem parabellum

Stay off the trails of others, that's where the booby-traps are.

John:
You have expressed the attitude that I love! I think that everything has to be placed in a niche in your life, and that you have to set up your own line of priorities.

For me, It is family first, friends, my health and how to keep it (exercising and what I eat), my computer (always trying to learn something new every day), my painting and teaching, and Bonsai.

I have a full plate every day... some days the Bonsai take precedent over everything (except the family). Then other times it is my painting or my students.

Obviously, every day is different, but the priorities will change with the daily events of my calendar, but NEVER will Bonsai take over my life.

In defense of my commitment to Bonsai, I check daily to make sure that no tree will ever die for lack of my negligence.

Thanks for making me think about this post!

John
You have given me a lot to think about. As usual you do make a lot of sense

At the risk of being one of those "high alert" lunatics, Um, John, maybe it's you who are taking this too seriously

This is a bonsai forum. People are talking bonsai. It is a highly concentrated atmosphere of people interested in one thing--which makes it a very weird, unpredictable, sometimes bombastic, place. This is true for ANY specialized club, society, etc. Believe me, my mom showed dogs professionally when I was a kid and I grew up as kennel help. I went to plenty of those meetings. If you think bonsai is bad, you oughtta get a load of a local (or regional, or national)kennel club meeting. Good Lord, what a bunch of loony toons

If you're looking for a "teacher" here, you may have noticed that's pretty catch as catch can. The Internet is a great leveler of organizational and intellectual heirarchy. Looking for a leader on the Internet is a little illogical when everyone's raw opinion is of equal face value and you have no real way of knowing who's who or what they're up to.

This place has no real bearing on reality. It's cyberspace and different rules apply. People feel free to say all kinds of things all over the web they wouldn't say in person--good or bad, like it or not.

What may come off as "intense," "unbalanced," or idiotic, could be someone just noodling around with his/her thoughts, or it could be some psychotic with a twisted agenda . You will never know. The best approach I think to all of this is with a grain of salt and large scoop of humor.

That doesn't mean it can't be informative. It can. Take what you will. Leave what you don't want. Glean the diamonds from the quartz.

For what it's worth, I have a life outside here. A great one. I enjoy bonsai as a hobby, an outlet, but hardly the center of the universe. This is an amusing passtime for me between deadlines, nothing more. I like the give and take and the stuff you can pick up occasionally. I also like to argue with the occasional lunatic or 'pretender." It's fun and sometimes informative. It's never dead serious for me.

For what it's worth, I have met several of the folks I've talked to on line. They are nothing like they sounded, or they are exactly like they sounded. You can't tell and it will drive you mad trying to tell which ones are which.

Carl and Ron,

Thanks for the input. I always enjoy reading your posts as I feel you two are among the many who truly enjoy the concept of bonsai, without being lost in it. Carl, everytime I see your avatar I wonder what you were thinking when that picture was taken. It looks like you were enjoying the moment. Ron "Mr. whiskey-flavored Coke", need I say more?

Rockm,




That's great information and exactly what I wanted to ascertain.

I hope you understand my remarks are about bonsai in general, not specifically bonsaiTALK. I won't single out individuals because that's just being combative and not constructive. There are very few people I can't get along with, but I'm always trying to improve my skills of communication. That is something I have determined I need to help understand and absorb the positions of others.


Thanks for the input,

John

No John, like everything here on BonsaiTalk and other bonsai forums, I took your post VERY VERY personally. You aimed it at me, I know you did.

and double

You are a journalist aren't you? Where there ain't a story make a story!!!

It has to be confirmed by an independent source before you can print it

You know good and well I don't mean you.

Rockm = "the spoon that stirs the pot"

John

I've got you covered, come out with your hands high.

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You mean everyone here doesn't eat, sleep, and drink bonsai 24 hours a day to the point of distancing themselves from reality?

Thank God, I thought I was the only one here who had a life outside of bonsai.

I gave up a few other pastimes like golf in order to make more time to study bonsai, a decision I do not regret in the least. Priorities. This decision has allowed me to spend more time with those I love and their interest in bonsai has formed a bond that wasn't there before.

I enjoy bonsai and the people I have met through it, gardeners, painters, golfers, writers, all tend to flock to those who understand their passion, why would we be different? Bonsai is the common denominator, but not the sole reason the friendships last.

Think of your group of friends, all different, all individuals, sometimes annoying, sometimes incredible, always there and the good ones are the ones that tell you when you're wrong. BonsaiTalk is like that, nobody here is perfect by a long shot, we are all just common people with a single thing in common, and what better way to start growing?

Joke of the day....

Two men were driving to a local bonsai show when one revealed to the other that he was very sick and would die soon.

After the shock the first guy asked the second to do him a favor. Once he dies and goes to heaven, send a sign, any sign that there are bonsai in heaven. They shook on it and continued to the show where the sick man died while trying to lift a large bonsai up onto a stand in order to do a demo.

Weeks went by without a sign of any kind and then one day while the man was driving to work he heard a voice call his name, "Frank." To which he replied, "George, is that you George?" The voice said, "Yes, Frank it's me." To which Frank replied, "Tell me George, answer my question, is there bonsai in heaven?"

George replied, "Well Frank I'm afraid I have some good news and some bad news for you. The good news is that there are bonsai in heaven, zillions of them, all perfect, everywhere you look there are bonsai."

Frank said, "Wow, I knew it, heaven has bonsai! What's the bad news George?"

"The bad news my friend is that you are doing a demo a week from Thursday."



Lighten up, laugh more, enjoy your bonsai,


Will

John, just a short reply to your question. When I hear people refer to bonsai as a "hobby", I reply; "The art and craft of bonsai, properly pursued, is not a hobby, it's a way of life".

Mike

John,

Do I HAVE to be kitten? The only good kitten is a bonsaied kitten