As the twig is bent...

...so is the tree inclined.
The phrase is even older than Rico thought, being translated from a French saying of 1530. (Also used by Pope, in English, in 1732.)
But Rico is discovering that his own twig being bent in a particular way, due to his childhood, has come in handy now that his tree has been forcibly inclined to staying in the house. As an only child, living in a semi-rural environment for much of his life, he was bent to playing by himself, reading, and watching the world go by.
Rico says it's serving him well now, as he must often occupy himself by reading, watching television, and writing, often in this blog...