you know, i try to illustrate where magic exists. i do that for the logic that if more people could see it, not only would we learn to work with it better, also, it would prove to have been, there, continuously occurring, all along.

one of the most dangerous of human issues is, lack of perspective.

otherwise referred to as ignorance.

it cuts us off at the knees in respect to knowing of and working with our own awesome power and potential for creating more magic, love and happiness in our, and to an effect, those around us, daily perceptions of reality. and reality, oh so much of it is, simply, perception.

anyhow, the email below continues to occasionally appear in my inbox so i decided to read it again. it’s truly a fine example of how we see so little of what is happening right in front of us.

the illustration of that point, is notably supported by this story of this all too common phenomenon occurring within an experience that was so overtly multi sensory that it would seem impossible to miss, like the proverbial elephant in the room… a very telling picture.

the rereading of this did make its mark on me once again. further refining my understanding of our “mass psychosis,” as it is referred to by ram dass :)

having lived in dc and taken the metro i can imagine the sound and it’s resonance as it played around and up those high walls and ceilings. i wonder about the acoustics and how i wish i had been there to experience that…

…which brings to mind a memory of mine that forever left its mark and deeply moves me still…

it was a washington d.c., fall evening in a smithsonian museum anti-chamber a beautiful intimate, golden wood paneled space. i was attending a very private concert performed by three string masters (2 violin one cello) on the most prized of antique instruments in display at the museum. these instruments were as excited as were to have them come out from their cases and play once more.

a new layer of the magnificence and beauty of life opened up

tears streaming, i was utterly and forever transformed.

to me, that is magic.

i ; )

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*** In Washington , DC , at a 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, 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.

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*** this story is inserted as it was received in an anonymous email ***

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