Random Announcements
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A little essay I wrote a year ago. Just posting it here because I alluded to it in the 'WAYDT?' thread.
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I'd like to tell you a story.
Yesterday, I went to the Minnesota Bonsai Society fall auction. Which is like an autumn auction, but in America.
There were dozens-upon-dozens of trees up for bidding in both the live and silent auctions. There were a couple of maples I bid on in the silent auction, but they ended up going a bit high for my taste. I wasn't too concerned, though, as there were two trees which had really taken my fancy in the live auction. They were the only two ginkgos in the room. One of them was pretty good, and it had a reserve of only $50. The other was definitely nicer, aesthetically speaking, but it had a reserve of $75. Of course, being that it was an auction, the things you're interested in will not come up until near the end. I saw a lot of beautiful trees come and go... some selling for hundreds of dollars - well beyond their reserve. All the while, I waited for my ginkgos... wondering what sort of price they'd command.
There was a fellow sat next to me, and we started talking. It turns out he'd also lived in Japan, and we chatted about the differences in culture and whatnot, interspersed with musings on the beauty or otherwise of the various offerings as they came to the floor. Presently, this gentleman asked if he might inquire as to what I was interested in. And it turned out that what we were both particularly waiting for was the ginkgos. It also turned out that of all the many, many trees in the live auction... we both liked that one particular ginkgo tree the best. It seems our time in Japan had both left us finding the ginkgo to be a particularly evocative species... and this was just a lovely example of that tree.
Anyoldhow... Presently the ginkgo with the $50 reserve came up for bidding. I stuck with the other punters up to around $85 or so, and then it flew up out of my grasp. Ho hum. "If that's what the worse one went for, I guess that's that," went my internal musings.
My new-found acquaintance then started bidding on one of the other trees he was interested in... going up much higher than my potential budget for any tree before calling it quits.
And so there remained only one tree which we both wanted. The one we wanted more than any of the others we'd bid on. And I knew he could outbid me six ways from Sunday. I almost felt like asking him what his max bid was going to be - even though it would most assuredly be higher than mine - so as not to raise the price unnecessarily for him if it were just the two of us bidding in the later stages. I was really quite fond of the chap, and I didn't want him paying more money than he had to on my account. As I said... he was definitely prepared to pay more for the tree than I. That wasn't even a question.
Still. I stuck around.
With less than a dozen trees to go, our prized ginkgo finally came to the floor. We both knew the reserve was $75, so when the auctioneer called out a starting bid of $25, I decided to cut to the chase and shouted out, "SEVENTY-FIVE!"
This had the desired effect of scaring off all the other bidders in the room, and I turned to my right, waiting for my new acquaintance's response.
He just looked at me and smiled, saying he wasn't going to bid against me and that it was my tree.
I was suddenly very moved. I knew that if it had been anyone else in the room who had made that bid, he would have bid against them and he probably would not have stopped until he won. I put my hand on his back, urging him to place a bid... but he would not be swayed. The auctioneer counted down, and the deal was closed. The bare-minimum reserve price, and it was mine. My companion was genuinely happy for me. For him, the fact that I'd gotten the tree was all he needed to be pleased with the outcome.
I payed for my prize and, before leaving, wrote down my name on a corner of my bidding card and tore it off before handing it to him... so he could look me up on Facebook and we could stay in touch. He handed me a business card, and I saw that, given his profession and employer, he could have outbid me a dozen times over in the blink of an eye.
The whole experience moved me very deeply. It is not in my nature to be saccharine, so I shall leave it at that.
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That’s a wonderful story. I love human nature and that it’s easier to love than it is to hate. Thanks for sharing bro.
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So Happy!
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Congratulations
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@Max Power I'm really happy for you Flo. What a gorgeous little one. I didn't think I'd ever want or have children, then 8 years ago I met my wife. At 41 that changed, and we had IVF to have our little boy. It changes your life forever, but in good ways. Best advice I could give. Never stop being the people you are, and fit a baby into your own life, don't fit into the baby's life.
That sounds harsh, but it's not meant to. I remember Sarah and I took Sennen out when he was 6 weeks old. We always liked eating out, but evenings were 'off the menu', so we just changed the meals we ate out. Brunch has become a things of joy for the 3 of us! Expose your little one to all the wonderful things that you enjoy, as the very open minded person you strike me as being. It doesn't have to be all Disney and nursery rhymes if you don't want it to be. What is Sennen's favourite music now? 'heavy dog moo rock and roll'…what is that? it is actually death metal! he's 3 1/2 and a couple of nights a week we dance around the living room to Immolation! (his favourite, so he tells me)
I wish you the 3 of you all the health and happiness in the world. You deserve it.
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Congrats! Hope all are healthy.
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Thank you all!
@Stuart.T great, just what i needed. Everybody else just talks about losing sleep. Well that already happened. But what you describe is really what i hope for. -
Congrats @Max Power
Commiserations @neph93
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Congrats, Max Power!
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Congrats @Max Power
That is one healthy head of hair too
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