Do you stop to smell the flowers?

“Action is magic. When you start taking consistent action, you will see results!” -Marie Fowleo-

“A goal with out a plan is just a wish.” -Antoine de Saint-Expery-

Now…imagine a man with a violin playing in the subway…read on…

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play 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.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist.

Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but 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 knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the top 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 his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story.

Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people.

The outlines 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 an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

Here’s the video

What have YOU noticed today?

Have you stopped to smell the flowers?

To play with your child instead of hurrying along?

To kiss your husband and appreciate how he washed the dishes or whatever?

To call an old friend?

To interact with a stranger?

To prepare food with your own hands and sit down and taste it?

To say thank you to someone…eliniz sağlik(health to your hands)

To notice how beautiful the ice has crystallized on the window (this is one of my favorite things in the morning…through one window when the sunlight illuminates it so beautifully!

Can you share with me something you noticed or appreciated today? Did you perceive beauty in the unusual?

The above necklaces are some more examples of OYA, the Turkish needle lace. The red is crocheted while the white and purple are woven using only a needle and thread…that will make slow down…

xo