When it's common?

THE SITUATION

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 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 have been missing as we rush through life?

And all because we are RUNNING for something or somewhere every minute of our life?

Is our running taking us where we wish to be or are we running because everyone else is?

Why do we consider that happiness, peace and satisfaction is obtained in some time in the future? Why can't we accept it happening in the everyday events of life?

Why is miracle supposed to be rare and unobtainable? If we get anything unasked are we afraid of validating it's value?

Think......

Rahul Pia

Pia was explaining to her friends. But, they weren’t buying her explanation. Rahul came and just sat down. He was looking at everyone. And Pia, she blurted out saying “Oh, my God! How can I make you see reason? Just because something’s arrived at logically, it needn’t be right!” all others just laughed and brushed that statement of hers aside and said “If something is arrived at logically, it’s got to be right. That’s all!”

Rahul said “Let me tell you a joke. A man was hospitalized in the hospital and the Doctor said “you have had a heart attack” and left. The man looked at his wife standing at his bed side and said “Honey, haven’t you been with me when I broke my leg at 25?” she said “Yes darling, I was.” “Weren’t you there when I lost my job?” she replied “Yes darling I was”. And then he asked again “You were there even when I made a huge loss in my business. Right?” “Right darling” she said crying. And you are here at the time of my heart attack” he said looking at the ceiling. She was crying profusely and with love filled eyes she said, ‘yes darling, I am here too!’.

The man kept staring at the ceiling for few minutes and then said “My God! It took so many years for me to understand this simple Truth that you are unlucky for me!”

Everyone started laughing. Rahul asked “What’s so funny?” They said “He should thank that woman for being on his side during all his crisis and here he was thinking she’s unlucky. Heights of stupidity!”.

“Exactly” said Rahul “Just because he arrived at this decision logically it isn’t right? Correct friends?”

They got the point and nodded looking at Pia.

And Pia smiled looking at Rahul.

Rahul Pia

Pia : I am angry at Rhea. Can you believe what she told me? She said, “Pia, you are so ‘lucky’. You needn’t wait for anyone. You can just a bus and be on time to college. Just look at me. I have to ‘depend’ on my driver to be on time.” How can she say ‘I am lucky’ when I end up undergoing all the hardships?’

Rahul just smiled and calmly replied :It’s because she’s decided to ‘see’ that way. She’s decided to put the blame on someone so she picked on her driver. She’s wanted to feel jealous so, she created or ‘saw’ an imaginary reason in you to feel so.

Pia asked “but, how can someone be like that?”

Rahul said “Once a couple met with an accident. He just had bruises but wife was admitted in the hospital and she was operated upon. Surgeon came to him after the operation and said, “I am sorry. She’ll survive for 3-4 hours.” Husband nodded his head and replied, “That’s ok Doctor. No need to feel sorry for me I’ve suffered her for the past 30-35 years. Few more hours wouldn’t make much difference to me. Don’t worry!”

Pia started laughing “oh, My God! You mean he really though Doctor was sorry that she’s going to survive for 3-4 hours more! I can’t believe it!

Rahul – exactly! That’s how people see. They don’t see WHAT IS, they see WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE. They don’t listen to ‘WHAT IS’, instead they listen what they WANT TO LISTEN.

Pia was still laughing when Rahul had completed his explanation. He kept looking at her. He liked the way her laugh reverberated in their college corridor…………..

Jatin looked out of the window and said “ Isn’t it surprising that ‘SWORD’ and ‘WORDS’ have same alphabets and even more strange that they have the same overall effect?”

Jatin was sipping tea with his friend Akshay in a Irani hotel. They always ordered for only one tea which they shared among themselves. Today, Jatin seemed lost. He hadn’t said a word in half an hour and Akshay didn’t prod either. He was used to sharing jatin’s silence for hours on end. Maybe, that’s why he was his best friend!

A death procession went along the street. Many were crying walking along with the corpse and Jatin said aloud –

“Kitni buri lagthi hai zindagi jab hum tanha mehsus karte hai,

marthe hi chaar kandhe mil jathe hai

aur jeethe jee hum ek ke liye tarasthe hai?

How painful seems life

when loneliness mocks at us,

At death we are shouldered by four

While living we long for one should to lean upon!

All their friends were being nostalgic about their school days. They talked at length about ‘good old days’. When they left, Pia asked with the sarcastic smile “how come when people compare past to present always find past good?”

Rahul : because they THINK ‘Past’s Perfect’ and ‘present tense’. Hence!

Pia nodded her head and smiled……..

A eight year looked at Anna Hazare fasting and said “Mummy, please stop him otherwise we’ll have one more chapter added in our history syllabus”.

No matter how good your intentions are, someone will always find a reason to complain and suffer. So, just do well because you want to. Don’t expect all to appreciate you for doing well. Because, someone surely will see some bad in every good!

“If everything is already written in destiny, then why should we wish?” I asked.

“Maybe” replied my Guru, “because, it’s written ‘AS YOU WISH!”

There was no way I could question it further. I understood it this time!