Be Noticed

A onetime child prodigy, at 39 Joshua Bell has arrived as an internationally acclaimed virtuoso. Emerging from the metro at the L'Enfant Plaza station at 7:51 a.m. on Friday, January 12, the middle of the morning rush hour ( the heart of federal Washington ) and position himself against a wall beside a trash basket. A young white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin ( whose price tag was reported to be about $3.5 million ). Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money, swiveled it to face pedestrian traffic, and began to play.

In the next 43 minutes, as the violinist performed six classical pieces, 1,097 people passed by. Each passerby had a quick choice to make. Do you stop and listen? Do you hurry past with a blend of guilt and irritation, aware of your cupidity but annoyed by the unbidden demand on your time and your wallet? Do you throw in a buck, just to be polite? Does your decision change if he's really bad? What if he's really good?

But on that Friday in January, Joshua Bell was just another mendicant, competing for the attention of busy people on their way to work. $32.17 was obtained when he could easily perform in a Symphony Hall, with a pretty good seat going for $100.

What a story told by my pastor this sunday. He teaches me a lesson that despite leading a busy and hectic life, i should stop and appreciate the beautiful things that are happening around me.