I no longer watch the evening news or subscribe to any print newspapers. I seldom read news reports on the Web. Most stories are about politics, ugly incidents (many involving children), natural disasters, and what stupid things celebrities are doing. Little of it is important to my life; none of this kind of information makes me a better person. Occasionally, however, I run into a story that impresses me.
This story in the Washington Post is entitled Pearls Before Breafast . During the rush hour commute to work on January 12th, Joshua Bell awarded the Avery Fisher prize recognizing him as the best classical musician in America, went to the L'Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C. and, for 43 minutes, played some of the world's most beautiful music ever written. It was videotaped and you can watch hundreds and hundreds of people walk by, totally oblivious to the beauty of that music, intent only on getting to work.
"Seven people stopped what they were doing to hang around and take in the performance, at least for a minute. Twenty-seven gave money, most of them on the run -- for a total of $32 and change. That leaves 1,070 people who hurried by, oblivious, many only three feet away, few even turning to look."
So here's my rant for the day. Pay attention to the beauty in life! It's all around you! From the birds singing in the morning, the lilacs blooming in the yard next door, the little girl singing to herself as she's walking down the sidewalk, the happy wag of a dog's tail, the sun breaking through a cloud, the violinist playing in the subway terminal. Pay attention! Don't miss a moment of it!
