Perception, Taste and People's Priorities.

Washington, D.C. Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007.

The man with a violin  played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.
During that time approximately two thousand people went through the
station, most of them on their way to work.
After three minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing.
He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to
meet his schedule.
Four minutes later:
The  violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in
the hat  and, without stopping, continued to walk.
Six minutes:
A young man leaned  against the wall to listen to him, then looked at
his watch and started  to walk again.
Ten 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 all the time.
This  action was repeated by several other children.
Every parent, without  exception, forced their children to move on  quickly.
Forty five minutes:
The musician played continuously.
Only 06 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.
Sixty minutes:
He finished playing  and silence took over.
No one noticed.
No one applauded, nor was there  any recognition.
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  $200.
This  is a true 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 people's  priorities.

The questions raised:
In a common place  environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
Do we stop  to appreciate it?
Do we recognize talent in an unexpected  context?
One  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?