Hard to believe isn’t it?
GREATNESS meets us face to face and we Recognized it N O T more times than we actually ever do!
In fact, by now you actually know The Story:
A man sat a metro station in Washington, DC and started playing 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. No one actually stopped. A few slowed their paces; some children paused and had to be pulled away by their parents but no one really stopped, lingered, L I S T E N E D.
In those 45 minutes about 20 people gave the musician money as they 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 ever knew or noticed that this was Joshua Bell, world-renowned violinist who actually was playing a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Just two days before playing in the subway, Joshua Bell had sold out a theater in Boston and the average seats were $100.00 each. This true story was organized and done by the Washington Post as a part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were 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 a an unexpected context? If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
Well?
How many of you actually watched the 2:37 minute video? How many of you would have actually watched the whole 45 minutes if I had posted it…or will YouTube IT to do just that?
Another Holiday Season is quickly coming to an end. Has it passed you by? How fast have you gone through the paces just to ‘get through it’ or to survive?
What is the truest hope that we have as we enter into a new year and come face to face with Greatness, beauty and recognize it not or just pass it quickly by without a thought of Enjoying it or, dare it be written, SHARING IT?
I wonder how many times this past year I’ve been face to face with an opportunity to love, to accept, forgive, understand and HAVEN’T? If I can’t recognize these small Greatnesses, what are the chances of me recognizing. . . .
I always have this hope right now at this time of the year, ending as it is, beginning as it will, that if I can’t keep THESE things in my heart, somehow I will still be kept in their HOPE.
Recognize THIS when it appears and more, make sure it appears more often so IT might indeed be recognized. Make THIS your only Resolution and you’ll need no others!
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