“What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.”
-W.H. Davies
I found that quote and the following story on page 60 of the 1 Book today:
“The Man In The Metro”
It was all videotaped by a hidden camera.
He was a young man in jeans, a t-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. He positioned himself by a trash basket at metro station in Washington D.C. and started to play the violin for passing pedestrians. He played six Bach pieces during the rush hour as thousands of people filed through the station, most of them on their way to work. After the first four minutes went by, a man briefly leaned against the wall to listen, but then looked at his watch and started to walk again, clearly late for work. A little later, the violinist received a dollar tip from a woman who tossed the money in his open violin case, without stopping. Other flipped in quarters, nickels or pennies on the run.
The ones who paid the most attention were the children. The Washington Post reported, “Every single time a child walked past, he or she tried to stop and watch…and every single time, a parent scooted the kid away.”
In the 45 minutes he played, only six people stopped and stayed for a while. Others who were on their cell phones spoke louder as they passed the violinist, so their voices could be heard over the music. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed and no one applauded.
No one knew that the violinist was Joshua Bell, the internationally acclaimed virtuoso. That day in the metro he played one of the greatest pieces of music ever written- Bach’s Partita No. 2, on a Stradivarius worth $3.5 million. Just two days before, he had sold out a theater in Boston where the tickets averaged $100.
Life’s music is everywhere and all around us. If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musician’s in the world playing some of the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
(The 1 Book was written by Dan Zadra and Kobi Yamada, and you can find it at Live-Inspired.com)
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Now I know this post is usually just a thought and a photo, but this video of Joshua Bell surprising one of his youngest fans had me smiling from start to finish:
Here’s to not missing the magic today!
PS- Thanks to those who purchased a t-shirt yesterday! I appreciate it so much! 😀
PPS- All of the designs above will be available for 24 more hours over at BlogThreads.com. XO
OMG…that GMA duet was AMAZING. What a talented young man. I raised ball players, a pilot and now a vocalists. I am always in awe of young people who exhibit amazing talent…regardless of what that talent may be! Parents, each child has a gift….find it and nurture it!!!!
Here’s to finding the magic… and hearing the music, every day! Hugs, Layla! ♡
Wow! Thank you for sharing this! I would have missed it.
so beautiful and such a little professional already. thank you for that reminder to slow down and “smell the roses” or in this instant the “violin” awesome
How richer our lives would be if we TOOK the time to see and hear the magic in our lives. It could be a bird songong hello in thee morning. Even watching thi little vid is magic. Thank you Layla for the loveliness that you bring with your blog.
way to make my eyes leak a bit this fine morning…that music was magical!
oh…and a HUGE THANK YOU for offering some of the previous shirts again. yaaaay!
Wow, wow! Brought tears to my eyes! Here’s not to missing the music around us whatever form it may take!
Great post – wonderful way to start my day. We all need to be reminded from time to time to stop and hear the music, smell the roses, or whatever other phrase works for you. And…what talented delightful musicians. To possess such a gift is a wonderful blessing. I hope the young boy realizes his dream.
That quote has always been one of my favorites. I painted it on a bench in my garden several years and one house ago and it said “sit and stare” instead of “stand and stare”. Thanks for posting that sweet video; it made my day!
I have often been asked how I can stand to do nothing but sit in silence in my retirement years. And I explain that there is music in silence, words in silence and most importantly, memories in silence. I don’t need to have something going on constantly, because it’s in my soul. I am happy and at peace. It’s a pleasure to me, just like being on the go is a pleasure to others.
Oh my, Your words sound like poetry to me. As a younger person I often feel trapped in this fast paced electronic world that we live in. I have read so many studies about this latest generation not being able to sit still and concentrate, to just relax and be. Against my will I feel the effects in my own life. I marvel at people who can do what you do. It’s truly a blessing to be able to do that so easily.
Oh Layla, THANK you this was awesome!!! I absolutely love stories like this!!! And that Dillion, he is amazing! I’ll remember this…right here, right now when he’s famous someday ❤️ And your message is so moving, made my day…thank you???
Sad so many are so busy not to stop and really hear the music..
Such a thoughtful story and clip! Am so glad I “took the time” to stop and read your blog today! LOVE your thoughtful Thursdays! Forgot to read yesterday so saw your Friday in my inbox and was reading about your dining room and moved on to this and am so so glad I did! This one will stay with me. Have reread twice sitting here.
chills
I love this, and the story I think today we are to wrapped in with social media, phones, work and getting places fast we defiantly miss out on the simple small things. I know I need to work on this more, getting outside putting my phone down and paying attention to the little things and patience. This was a good reminder thanks for sharing this 🙂
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xx
That clip was beautiful – it brought a smile to my face, but through the tears. So touching to see and hear such wonderful talent. I hope that young lad gets the Conservatory training he desires and goes on to be as famous as his idol.
So glad I chanced upon this post – thank you Layla. xx