As part of my attempt to revamp the content of this blog, I am posting the following story. On the one hand it is a social experiment that did not have the best outcome, but it is also a snapshot of the modern pace that we keep, and what is sacrificed because of it. The kind of disassociation displayed here speaks to our need to slow down, breath and take in our environment We need to tap into unity consciousness and discard the myopic lens we look through that prevents us from accessing our more acute sensibilities.
One of the things noted here is how the children wanted to stop and explore what they were observing, only to be hurried away by their parents' staying on schedule. Being sensitive to children is another aspect of our lives that has come up for review. If the parents had "heard" the request of the child to simply pause and take in what was being offered, a gift may have been received. Standing still for a moment could have served as a break in the day or an opportunity to bond with one another. All it would have taken is 3 minutes; 3 minutes out of 1,440 in a day to find some spontaneous joy. We've become so tethered to the clock, one of the greatest distractions of the 3D paradigm, that we forget that we have free-will choice. The dictates of time takes precedent over our mind and senses, not to mention what is does to our heart rate and blood pressure. Everybody, please downshift. -S.C.-
By: Josh Nonnenmocwww.beapartoftheshift.com
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 1,100 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, and 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 most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $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?
A lot
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