There are two things I've wanted to do for years. Well, to categorize that numerically would look like a lazy 8, but specifically two I mention here today.
Brew delicious beer...
Grow tiny trees...
Among a series of hobbies I have attempted, kept, succeeded, and certainly those failed, these two fascinations have haunted me since I was much younger. Both fascinations culminated during a trip to Zimbabwe about 8 years ago during my college years, as the family I was staying with, a college roommate of mine and Rhodesian native of Dutch/German/British descent, had beautiful glass bottles of murky, light brown and amber bubbling away in their kitchen, and rows of decades-old bonsai along the south facing wall of the home. My roommate at the time came from a family of hunters, land owners, soldiers, and even PhD's (all wrapped into one person, his father). To see such a renaissance man with such intricate hobbies requiring not just weeks and months, but years and decades of time and patience to master, I solidified my intrigue and swore an oath to myself to start fresh...
...I started fresh about 3 months ago, almost 8 years since my initial decree... ...fail...
Both intrigues are courtesy of my loving wife, who understands I am a man easily bored and constantly in search of something to occupy the time. Relaxation is difficult for me as "sitting quietly" was never my forte... ask my mother... So as we were on our honeymoon in Maui, I fell in love with a young dwarf schefflera rooted in lava rock. I purchased it along with some plumeria cuttings and brought them home with us. I joined a bonsai forum and began asking questions. I immediately learned that schefflera is almost impossible to kill and makes a great house plant for bonsai, as well as beginners. I was very excited...
...and killed it in under a month...
In that month however, I had read, studied, learned, and began anew with seedlings and saplings. Despite my vain attempts to conquer God and nature myself, I figured if I, a man who has spent more than his fair share of time landscaping professionally and privately (although it is not my current profession) could kill the un-killable, there must be something special about making a plant meant to grow 20 feet long dwarf itself to just a few inches. And low and behold, I discover there is.
So my experiment continues. I am not one to allow myself boredom, and as Thomas Edison once said, "I did not fail 100 times at making a lightbulb, I simply found 100 ways NOT to make a lightbulb."
