As We Rush Through Life

As we rush through life!

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In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007,

this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During

that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them

on their way to work.

*About 3 minutes: *

The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat

and, without stopping, continued to walk.

*At 6 minutes: *

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his

watch and started to walk again.

*

At 45 minutes:*

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a

short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal

pace. The man collected a total of $32.

*After 1 hour:*

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one

applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest

musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever

written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua

Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit

and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro

Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment

about perception, taste and people's priorities.

*This experiment raised several questions: *

1.In a common-place environment, at an inconvenient or inappropriate hour,

do we perceive beauty?

2.If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

3.Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

*Learning:* If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the

best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written,

with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made... how many other

things are we missing as we rush through life?

- unknown