Message or messenger

My brother sent this along.  Its message grows on you. It complements the theme of this blog = substance > form.  







PERCEPTION  


Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007: A man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand 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 later:   The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat 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 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 all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

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.

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

  
The violinist was Joshua Bell.  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.


I can assure you a few dozen passerby have Bell on an album and would jump at the chance to go to the Kennedy Center to hear him. Hundreds would claim to be afficionados of classical music.  Talk about swine flu.


There is genius and beauty passing us by everyday, but we wait to be told what we can like.  We are told what to believe and not to be concerned with what is real.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myq8upzJDJc