I have often wondered what enables, even inspires, some people to think and dream beyond their own lifetimes, and work on grand projects with the sole hope that the projects would attain fruition after they themselves are long gone. In many cases, like the Egyptian Pharaohs, it was a firm belief in life after death. In may other cases, it's a hope for a sort of historical or cultural immortality; a legacy. Many people seem to be motivated by the urge to leave the world a better place for their progeny (those clever genes!).
But in all these cases, this thought of legacy or after-life comes when one is well into ripe old age (or in the sick bed). Perhaps, parents of young children occasionally wonder if they would be around to see their children grow up. I for one, sure hope to be around to see these rascals suffer at the hands of their young children! Other than that, my mortality has never come to fore in my mind, even as I venture into that confusing phase of one's life called "middle age".
That is, until I started dabbling in Bonsai. Tress grow excruciatingly slowly, and I knew that. When you plant a fruit tree in your yard, you need to wait a few years for it to get to, hmm, fruition. Sure. But Bonsai is different. The very essence of this craft is to grow miniature, mature trees in a pot, and make them mimic an ancient wild tree. While there are some techniques to fake the ancient look, the only authentic way is to simply give the tree the time it needs to grow old. And that time is measured in decades, and sometimes in centuries!
The Utah Juniper Bonsai pictured here is estimated to be a 250 year old tree, and the Bonsai training was started 17 years ago. It's not uncommon for bonsai to be many centuries old.
So, when you start a bonsai, say from a seedling or a cutting, this predicament hits you: you'll be dead of old age well before this tree is anywhere close to being "done". You may see your children have their own children, you may see your start-up company grow into a trillion dollar behemoth, you may even see your pet public works project get completed, but you will not see your seedling become an authentic, great bonsai tree. Deal with it.
But in all these cases, this thought of legacy or after-life comes when one is well into ripe old age (or in the sick bed). Perhaps, parents of young children occasionally wonder if they would be around to see their children grow up. I for one, sure hope to be around to see these rascals suffer at the hands of their young children! Other than that, my mortality has never come to fore in my mind, even as I venture into that confusing phase of one's life called "middle age".
That is, until I started dabbling in Bonsai. Tress grow excruciatingly slowly, and I knew that. When you plant a fruit tree in your yard, you need to wait a few years for it to get to, hmm, fruition. Sure. But Bonsai is different. The very essence of this craft is to grow miniature, mature trees in a pot, and make them mimic an ancient wild tree. While there are some techniques to fake the ancient look, the only authentic way is to simply give the tree the time it needs to grow old. And that time is measured in decades, and sometimes in centuries!
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| Utah Juniper Bonsai photographed in the East Bay Bonsai Society Exhibit, Oakland CA, March 2019 |
So, when you start a bonsai, say from a seedling or a cutting, this predicament hits you: you'll be dead of old age well before this tree is anywhere close to being "done". You may see your children have their own children, you may see your start-up company grow into a trillion dollar behemoth, you may even see your pet public works project get completed, but you will not see your seedling become an authentic, great bonsai tree. Deal with it.
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