Bonsai at 14
January 24, 2026
Bonsai are an ongoing fascination of The Incredible Shrinking Man. They both show the resilience and beauty of smallness and represent some of the paradoxical aspects of human/nature relationships. Bonsai are creatures that teach us ways forward while reminding us of the delicate relationship between control and care. To some the dependance of a small potted tree on its caretaker reflects the human role in relation with our planet while others feel bonsai represent the impossibility and even hubris of imagining such responsibility. As a 14 year old teenager during a vacation in Denmark, long before any reflections on the essence of bonsai, Shrinking Man encountered a small oak tree in jeopardy, its roots exposed by road work near an elfin forest. Despite its diminuitive size it was clear the tree was old with a thick trunk that had weathered the harsh winds along the shores of Nord-West Jutland. What to do? The Shrinking Man dug it out, put it in a bucket and took it home where it was nurtured back to health… as a bonsai.
He compliled a small library addressing the history, philosophy and practical aspects of caring for bonsai trees. And over the years the tree and the young man shared an almost daily routine. He shaped the tree and the tree shaped him.