The level of enthusiasm, the desire to learn, the warmth of the
people are
all at least as good as in Europe, if not better. The only
downside is that
American society as considerably more regimented and conformist
that in
Europe (heads down, duck the bullets!). For example, people
here want to
work by calendar dates rather than by sniffing the wind and
following nature
- and they seem to want to follow rigid formulae rather than be
creative and
break the mould. This isn't just bonsai, but it is more
prevalent in
bonsai, probably because of the way bonsai has been taught in
the past.

This, too, you can blame on the *&^%$# Puritans that you folks
sent us back in the mid to late 1500s and into the 1600s (I'm
sure you sent them over because you saw what narrow, bigoted
B-----ds they were and wanted no part of them.) :-/ The
Puritans are to blame for much that is wrong in our society
today -- including "Compassionate Conservatism."


Interestingly, once my students discover that they are allowed
to do
something a little off the wall, they are delighted and nothing
will stop
them.


Yeah. Once you show us that everything Mama taught us is isn't
gospel, we cut loose. ;-)

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - "People,
when Columbus discovered this country, it was plum full of nuts
and berries. And I'm right here to tell you the berries are just
about all gone." -- Uncle Dave Macon, old-time musician

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