Christian Message Boards: How many other things are we missing?

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Posted by becauseHElives (Member # 87) on :

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." Eleanor Roosevelt

Vision is the spectacular that inspires us to carry out the mundane." -- Chris Widener

Musician playing violin in a Washington DC
Metro Station on a cold January morning
in 2007.

He played six Bach pieces for about 60 minutes. During that time approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After:

3 minutes
A middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes
A three year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.

45 minutes
The musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32.

1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

This is a real story. The Washington Post, as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities, arranged the entire scenario. Playing incognito, no one knew the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days prior to this, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the tickets averaged $100 per seat.

The questions raised:
In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty; do we stop to appreciate it; do we recognize talent in such an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be:

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 .......

How many other things are we missing?

Posted by Betty Louise (Member # 7175) on :

sad

Posted by MentorsRiddle (Member # 2108) on :

WOW! really good post my friend.

That story is so very true -- we probably miss alot of beautiful things in life because we don't take the time to notice the beauty.

Posted by Carol Swenson (Member # 6929) on :

becauseHElives [thumbsup2]

“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God's handwriting - a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Posted by KnowHim (Member # 1) on :

Very good. Makes one stop and think what they may have already missed. Such as our children growing up and we missed it because we are to busy.

Got to slow down .....

.