― Sigurd F. Olson
I live downtown. Right in the middle of the city - which is full of people, the smell of industry, the sight of high rises, and you can just feel the energy radiating in the air. And you know what? I absolutely love it! However, the city life eventually wears on me. It becomes a poison that takes over me and wears me down. The only antidote to this is to escape from the current world and enter into the ancient simple world.
We are so fortunate that the human race has made advancements in the last several thousand years that were at one point unimaginable. We have such a higher quality of life, better standards of living, and a greater life expectancy. However, human stress is skyrocketing. How many things do you worry about on a daily basis? Do you find you have a million things going on in your mind to the point that you barely realize what is going on around you?
There was an experiment conducted by the Washington Post, where they placed a violinist to play in a subway station (see below). Turns out, it was one of the most famous violinists in the world, playing some of the most beautiful/intricate music in the world, on one of the most expensive violins in the world. Did anyone notice? Did anyone stop and listen? Basically, no.
Once in a while, we need to take a break. Escape from schedules, bills, deadlines, to-do lists, money, possessions, etc. I think the real fortune is having places that have been preserved and left almost untouched. We are able to leave the city, and enter into the woods where all our worries go away. We are left with the value of truly absorbing all the amazing things around us, whether it is jaw dropping scenery, or some of the most beautiful music ever performed.
Joshua Bell
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but 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. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 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. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the top 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 his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station
was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty?
Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
(See full article here)
