Perception....

...something to think about...

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Washington, DC 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 approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 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.

4 minutes later:

the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

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 all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

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.

1 hour:

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 $100.

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 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 missing?

MARDI GRAS FOR REACH

It was with delight that I created a mask for the fundraiser benefiting Hanford Reach Interpretive Center.

I opted to theme it for the regional wine country, utilizing colors inspired by New Orleans (purple, green, gold) and adding a touch of platinum to highlight the piece. Entitled Quin du Vin (Harlequin of Wine), the mask is one of my favorite creations. May it fetch a fine fortune for the cause. May I find more opportunities with the local group 509 Artists. UPDATE: The Mardi Gras event reportedly raised $11,000!

Put yourself out there, even if it requires wearing a mask!

As you may or may not know, I love PUNS! A good twist of a word or two puts a smile to my lips. Here is a selection that I've enjoyed ... hope you will too!

: )
PS all puns ARE intended!

1. Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.

2. A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, "I'll serve you, but don't start anything."

3. A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm, and says "A beer please and one for the road."

4. An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either.

5. What do you call a fish with no eyes? ...A fsh.
...( I still laugh at that one)

6. A woman has twins, and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt , and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a family in Spain; they name him "Juan." Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, "They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."

7. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him a super-calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

...(you may groan at any time)

8. And finally, there was the person who sent twenty different puns to his friends, with the hope that at least ten of the puns would make them laugh. ... No pun in ten did.

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Tri Cities, WA is a very giving community. If you are building or remodeling, the Habitat for Humanity provides a great resource for obtaining refurbished items or for donating those that you are swapping out ... for more information, look at the Habitat Surplus Store. Like the good advice from Bob the Builder - "reduce, reuse, recycle."