Enjoy life NOW ... it has an expiration date.

[Rattan...THE DECENT]

In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station on a cold January morning in
2007 this 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 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
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, then
looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes: A toddler 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.

What no one knew was that 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 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?

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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?
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Enjoy life NOW ... it has an expiration date

Happy Reading!