Perception

Cruising the blogosphere and I came across something that had nothing to do with Obama or guns or who died or when the next Ranger beer fest will be.

Seemed to be a fitting message as we rush through this thing called life.


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. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.
About 4 minutes later:
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 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.
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:

*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
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?

Enjoy life NOW .. it has an expiration date.

After returning from Savannah and just through life experiences, I can certainly tell you it has an expiration date and sadly for some, much quicker than others.

I always tell my kids, street workers need a "gimmick". I don't care what it is, don't just stand there begging. Knowing myself, I would have certainly given this cat money. I don't think I would have recognized any of the classical music as I don't have an ear for it. But from New York City to London to New Orleans to Romania if they are playing and they sound even half way decent, I will stop listen and give a buck or two.

Some of this is genetic I believe and some of it came from Charlie. I've never been scared of the homeless or out of work, I once bought 32oz quart bottles for some dudes under a bridge and I was in my Class A's. Just wanted to hear what they had to say for a few minutes. At that point in my life, I figured they had more to talk about then the general populace, who I despised and perhaps still do.

As for Charlie,hell, he would sit down with any miscreant be it a musician or artist and within minutes he'd be introducing you to his "new friend". If in a bar he'd pay their tab, "this one is on me", if they were selling something he usually bought it, from paintings to albums, "how cool" was always the saying while looking at each item. And you know what, when he was looking at it, he made you feel like he really thought it was. If they were just playing an instrument he gave them cash. I can't tell you how many times he came home with paintings from "this friend of mine who just got out of the joint, isn't it cool?" uh, yeah dad, real talent there, now put it out in the garage with the rest of your art collection. The dude got along with millionaires, outlaw bikers, homeless and everyone in between.

When I gave his eulogy, I said I was going to try and be more like that, make more friends, take time to smell the roses, etc. I don't know if I have or not but I'm going to make an effort to do so.

I'd advise all of you to be more like Charlie because as this experiment shows and as the great philospher Ferris Bueller once said "Life comes at you pretty fast sometime, if you don't look around you just might miss it".

The video of the experiment is below as is the full article in the Washington Post.




Read the full article from the Washington Post here.

These lyrics from a Joni Mitchell song sort of talk of this type of experience as well:


I slept last night in a good hotel
I went shopping today for jewels.
The wind rushed around in the dirty town
and the children let out from the schools.

I was standing on a noisy corner
waiting for the walking green
Across the street he stood, and he played real good
on his clarinet for free.

Now me, I play for fortunes
and the velvet curtain calls.
I got a black limosine and a few gentlemen
escorting me to these halls.

And I'll play if you have the money
or if you're a friend to me.
But the one-man-band by the quick lunch stand,
he was playing real good for free.

Nobody stopped to hear him,
though he played so sweet and high.
They knew he had never been on their TV
so they passed his good music by.

I meant to go over and ask for a song,
maybe put on a harmony.
I heard his refrain as that signal changed,
he was still playing real good for free.