Attila, that was a great story. Sometimes people let situations get the best of them. You were rewarded.

A balanced life, no matter what the hobby is, gives more interest to the individual. Obsession in one thing, be it bonsai or NASCAR, makes for a one sided person. It is far more fascinating to talk to someone with many interests and sidelines, someone who has gone down more than one path. And by having a broader outlook, many times information from one interest can be applied to another.

I have gone down many paths, immersed myself in many hobbies (funny how, in each one, the upper hierarchy don't like the word "hobby", they prefer "art".... same fight, different venue) There is the initial joy of discover, of total interest and immersion, voracious reading, and the evolution from beginner to authority. The only difference between these other hobbies and bonsai is that bonsai trees continue to grow. They change, they need care, they get better with time. You can't come and go in bonsai without a lot of lost time. Ceramics, calligraphy, costuming, rockhounding, bread baking, screen printing, medieval illumination, model horses... all are hobbies that I have pursued.... you can walk away for months or years, nothing changes except maybe your ink dries out. But bonsai requires some level of care and interaction no matter what else you may be doing. The trees always call you back. Or they die.

Family first, friends and home life, then bonsai. Meeting new people in bonsai, or bringing old friends into it for the first time is rewarding. Or bringing someone back who had always wanted to do it. It gives new dimensions, new shared enjoyment, new life and interest.

Joanie

Well, in my opinion that puts you ahead of many. To realize that a balance is needed in life is probably the biggest hurdle to finding personal peace. Too many seek to be the "best" in everything. The irony is that life isn't a contest. The joke about "he (or she ladies) who dies with the most toys wins", is exactly that....a joke. The world will pass you by if you don't pay attention. It's obvious that you are aware of that and your bonsai enthusiasm is a healthy part of that.

Your questionaire is a good reference for bonsai, and with a few substituted words, about any other subject. Thanks for your thoughtful input.

Take care,

John

Joanie,

Very mature outlook. It's nice to know that you also see the value of the people and not just the bonsai. I wish it was just a matter of taking for granted, but I'm fairly sure the human aspect is somewhat detached for bonsai in the eyes of some. A pity.

Thanks for the insight,

John

John, it would indeed be a pity for people who only count their own "wins" and lose site other people and interactions in bonsai. What a narrow world. The friendships and the group participation gives flavor and meaning.

"No man is an island".

We are enriched by reaching out to others, and fulfilled in our personal relationships, if we make them positive and valuable.

We are all defined not only by our own accomplishments, but also how we are viewed and received by others. We are, in the end, social animals who survive best within a group. Some people are more so, some less so, but on some level we all need the companionship and approval of others of our kind.

Joanie

John,

I am sure that you are not holding anyone in low regards for taking bonsai more seriously than others. Every endeavor in life has those that are near obsessed and strive for perfection and those who just putz along as if nothing matters, here we all most likely fall more toward the obsessed than the putz level, but all somewhere in between.

What one person considers a priority another may consider pointless, so is life. Should either be less valid than the other. The sole judge is a persons happiness, are you happy with the balance you have found? I know I am.

Like sand in an hour glass, so are the days of our lives, lol.


Will

Reading through all this reminds me of a remark made by the English Comedian Benny Hill
"Live every day like it is going to be your last one. Because one of these days you will be right"

Very interesting thread and it is good to hear that common sense prevails.

As already mentioned, if taken in isolation a lot of the regular posters here can seem like bonsai "nerds" (my apologies to anyone who finds the term offensive).
This being a bonsai forum, I talk about bonsai and the associated craft, skills and art. In the time I spend outside this forum I talk about my other interests such as woodturning, gardening, cooking, wine and my family history.
I enjoy a wide range of interests and the interaction with people who share them.
I believe that life is all about balance and moderation.
That goes for eating, drinking, competitive sports, work, hobbies and anything else you may care to think about.

Bonsai takes up some of my spare time (quite a lot actually) but there is always plenty of time for other things.
For me, quality time with the my daughters and my wife comes first. Having practically missed the early childhood of my first daughter through total immersion in the pursuit of a career has taught me a valuable lesson. A mistake I am not likely to make again. Then there are the various hobbies of mine which includes bonsai.
Granted, once you reach a certain level, bonsai is not something you can put down and then pick up 6 months later. You can however limit the time spent with your trees in order to deal with other more important things.

Regards

Mike

normally, this is the kind of thread that i would love to post to, but seeing as how i am taking a break from BT (and bonsai to a lesser extent, outside of club meetings), i will refrain from any untowards posts at this time...

jeff

ps you have reached a person who is no longer responding. if you feel you have reached this recording in error, please hang up and dial again. you have reached a person who is...

ME: My name is Matt, and I'm a bonsai addict. I have been bonsai-

free for 12 minutes.

All: Hi, Matt!

Jeff, We have been missing you at the 12-step group. As your sponsor I need to ask you to phone me if you can't make the regular Tuesday night meetings..


Regards,

Matt

Will,
I certainly don't look down upon anyone. I am a mere grain of salt and my opinion is just that....an opinion. I do however feel that the spirit of my question is to point out that there is a cost - sometimes a great one - in making one materialistic pursuit your driving force in life.

I am quite serious in the subject of bonsai. It is the highest priority in my off-time. As a person, my priorities are:

1- God
2- Family
3- Country
4- Myself
5- Everything else, with bonsai at the top of the category.

That's just me. It does make for a little high blood pressure (as I found out the other day ), but I still feel it is a "healthy" outlook on life. If bonsai "ended" tomorrow, I could go on. It almost sounds like I'm talking about an addiction, and in retrospect, maybe I am.

"Don't miss the forest for the trees" seems an appropriate quip. When you attend bonsai shows, do you only look at bonsai and not "mingle"? When you see an outstanding bonsai that has been created from yamadori, do you only admire its beauty as a bonsai or do you inquire about the area where it was collected and the stages towards its current condition? This type of interaction is what I find adds to the overall enjoyment of bonsai, not to mention the integral knowledge available.

Here is an entirely unrelated subject that curiously still explains what I mean:

A retired State Investigator was recently at a funeral of a police officer. This "retired" investigator has an extremely pronounced limp. He actually throws one foot out sort of like he's kicking at a soccer ball. Now a casual observer would only see a man with a funny walk, maybe concluding he is an amputee. If you were to inquire further, you would find out that the same man was once the victim of a car-bombing and had lost a part of one leg in the blast. He continued his career with a prosthetic lower leg until he retired many years later. He also has one of the best outlooks on life you could ever imagine. To be in his presence is absolutely infectious, and if you don't walk away with a smile after meeting him, you are indeed one cold-hearted SOB.

That is the kind of positive influence I look for, and I'm just wanting bonsaists to realize the "big" picture and not just see the little tree.

John