Take Time To Listen To The Music

It was a cold January morning in 2007 at Washington DC Metro Station. A man played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately 2,000 people walked 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 and stopped for a few seconds, then hurried to keep his schedule.

4 minutes later the violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw the money in the till and without stopping, continued walking.

At the 6 minute mark a young man leaned against the wall to listen to the playing, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

On the 10 minute mark a three year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as 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 children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.

45 minutes after he started playing, only six people stopped and stayed for awhile. About twenty people gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace.

He collected $32.

He stopped playing after one hour and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best 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 at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $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 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:
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, how many other things are we missing?

This story is verified on Snopes.com.

2010 Winter Paralympics

Torchbearer Daniel Wesley carries the Paralympic flame during the Torch Relay at the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Paralympic Games at BC Place on March 12, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada. (Hannah Johnston/Getty Images)

"Over 500 athletes from 44 countries around the world have once again descended on Vancouver Canada, for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Paralympic Games, (officially known as the X Paralympic Winter Games). After a separate torch relay and opening ceremony, competitors faced off in five different sports: Sledge hockey, Wheelchair curling, Alpine skiing, Biathlon, and Cross-country skiing - the last three broken into classes of sitting, standing and visually impaired. Currently Russia is leading the medals race, with Canada and Ukraine tied for second place. The Winter Paralympics continue until the Closing Ceremony on Sunday March 21st."

There is a wonderful array of photos in the Boston Globe. You really need to see them. I can't add more. The photos speak for themselves.

Happy St Patrick's Day

"Why should you never iron a 4-leaf clover? You don't want to press your luck."
~~Daryl Stout

Irish Blessing

May you always walk in sunshine.
May you never want for more.
May Irish angels rest their wings right beside your door.

Enjoy your St Patrick's Day. I'm wearing green: Green shirt, green socks!

Thank You, Mrs. 4444

Mrs. 4444 (pronounced Mrs Fours) at Half-Past Kissin' Time and her other blog Mrs. Fours Cooks, was so kind to share something new with me. It is new to me anyway. Maybe there are lots of others like Mrs. 4444 who are familiar with this, but I was way behind the times.


Not Anymore!!!

In the mail yesterday I received a package of Lawry's Guacamole Spices and Seasoning Mix from Mrs. 4444.

This afternoon I have two errands to run and will stop at the store for some avocados so dinner tonight will be guacamole!! There will be some dancing in the kitchen tonight.

A big thank you shout out to Mrs. 4444 for your kind and generous disposition.

Some Things A Mother Will Never Know

She was in the first grade. Her brother was in the second grade. The brother and sister had been dropped in front of the convent next to their school in the still dark of the early morning. Their mother drove from the country where they lived to the city, dropped them off, and returned to the country to work.

The brother pushed the bell at the front door and after the usual wait the nun opened the door and ushered the children to the front parlor, leaving them with the usual "Don't touch anything" admonition.

Looking around the parlor, both children were overcome with reverence of richness. The nuns much be rich to live in such luxury. They had never seen such deep piled oriental carpets or richly polished furniture and sparkling shiny class doors on cabinets.

Taking a seat next to each other on the settee, they folded their hands so they would remember "not to touch anything".

They were aware of not being good enough to be in that room and what a privilege it was to be admitted to the inner sanctum of the convent.

The agreement was that the mother would be allowed to leave the children in the early mornings and they would have a place to wait until it was time for school to begin. So five days a week this was where they sat in quiet hushed whispers and "not touching anything".

One morning the two hour wait was beginning to cause the little girl to squirm. "I have to pee really bad" she told her brother. "Shhh", he said, "remember we "can't touch anything". The squirming turned into one leg crossing over the other and trying to hold it. It wouldn't do any good to knock on the door that the nun locked on her way out.

Finally, a decision made, she got down off the settee, walked determinedly to where the corner of the beautiful thick piled mauve oriental rug left an edge of shiny wood plank floor. She bent over, lifted up the heavy corner of the thick piled rug, pulled down her panties and peed on the floor. After setting the corner of the rug back down, she returned to the settee. Her brother looked like he wasn't even breathing. Fear was written all over his face. She smiled. She hadn't really "touched anything", just the edge of the corner of the thick piled carpet. She realized the smile was becoming a laugh from somewhere way deep inside her, but they weren't supposed to make any noise, so she held the laugh in check. She knew she had a very long time to laugh about this. So today is one of those times.

This Could Happen To You Too

My thighs were stolen from me during the night a few years ago. I went to sleep and woke up with someone else's thighs. The replacements had the texture of cooked oatmeal. Whose thighs were these and what happened to mine? I spent the summer looking for my thighs.

Then the thieves struck again. My rear end was next. I knew it was the same gang, because they took pains to match my new rear end to the thighs they had stuck me with earlier. But my new rear end was attached at least three inches lower than my original!

Two years ago I realized my arms had been switched. This was really scary, my body was being replaced one section at a time. What could they do to me next?

When my neck disappeared and was replaced with a turkey neck, and hair migrated from the head to the chin and upper lip, I decided to tell everyone my story. Women of the world, wake up and smell the coffee! Those plastic surgeons are using real replacement body parts--stolen from you and me! The next time someone you know has something "lifted", look again--was it lifted from you?

Last year I thought someone had stolen my breasts. I was lying in bed and they were gone! But when I jumped out of bed, I was relieved to see that they had just been hiding in my armpits as I slept. Now I keep them hidden in my waistband!!!

Note: This was in an article in a newspaper in a little New York town but the person who sent it cut all the newspaper information off. So I don't know who to credit this to but it is not me. Also, the cartoon is Gibson. Just throwing some more humor into the mix.

"Laughter is an instant vacation." ~Milton Berle

Hope you had a mini vacation when you visited this little hippie blog today!

There Is A Reason To Let It Go

Turn away. Do not engage
Don't take things personally
If things escalate too far
It could become dangerous

Watch what you are doing
Stay sane and calm
Keep things safe in your own space
You have control of only this

Stay focused straight ahead
Using your peripheral vision
Do not engage in eye contact
that would seem threatening

Stay within the lines
Follow the rules of the road
Ignore the honking and jeers
Do not give notice to hand gestures

Let them pass. Let them go.
Better to have them far away
than tailgating you for miles
and causing others to swerve

Turn away. Do not engage.
Do not give in to road rage.

Some Things I Cannot Speak Of

Only some things
cannot be replayed
the pain too deep
the memory too near
only some things

But other things
oh so many other things
come easily to the pen
softly remembered
So many other things

Some things still so raw
the tears still fresh
even of many years past
the gut recoils in spasms
only some things

And yet so many things
fly freely to the page
so much laughter
humor to be shared
wonderful things

But some things....

High Flyers

They are a tight unit.
Not a social club.
Not as close as siblings.
Nevertheless, a team.

Lives depend on them.
For Information,
for directions,
for timeliness.

There is one captain.
Omnipotent in the air.
A crew of varying levels,
Trained to precision.

The next time you see
them pulling their wagons
across the tarmac
seemingly all talking at once


Don't think of them
as merely a gaggle of uniforms
Give a silent thanks
to the powers that be

The training and discipline
it takes to achieve their level
is beyond mere mortals
in most ways to mention

They do more than merely
look good in their uniforms.
They know which buttons to push.
And they know where the booze is.

Nice flying with you, Captain.
Thanks to your entire crew.
My bag of peanuts was fresh
And my coffee was magic brew.

I wrote this after I read a post by Maggie at Moonstruck about her flight and a last minute trip she and her friends enjoyed recently. Thanks, Maggie for the idea. Instead of using a graphic of a real airplane I chose instead the paper airplane!

Solemn Supplication

Give me a sense of humor, Lord.
Give me the grace to see a joke.
To get some humor out of life,
And pass it on to other folks.

I did not write this; author unknown.

A sense of humor is necessary to good health!
The way the body relaxes and the mind is joyful after a huge fit of laughter encourages me to invite laughter and humor into my life.

The Wanderer

He carried his darts in his pocket
Like an old friend kept close to his heart
They were the calibrated weight he demanded
Ready to perform to his specifications

He roamed from town to town unattached
Looking for his next mark
He perfected his innocent look
Then proceeded to hustle them all

In his mind he was living the good life
His work was this chosen field
His life was cash and carry only
No luggage to slow him down

Anything I Can Do To Help My Brain.....

When I read an article in Psychology Today titled "Naps Are Exercise For The Brain", it tickled my funny bone and alerted my brain that a nap was in order. Yes indeed, a siesta is now something I look forward to. Any form of exercise that doesn't involve actually you know, exercise, is my cup of green tea.

A survey in the New York Times states that:

"• 1 in 3 adults admit to napping on a typical day.

• Napping is high among adults who have trouble sleeping a night or who have worked out in the last 24 hours."

The article also blabbed on about people out of work napping (well, duh) and people dissatisfied with their incomes who have trouble sleeping also nap. (Double duh)

Then it brought up the suggestion of a micro nap. I don't want a friggin' mini nap, I want a NAP. Go to sleep, get down to REM, wake up refreshed and hot to trot and rearing to go nap. You know the one.

"All of us can learn how to nap and reap its many rewards!"

We have to learn how to nap??? That doesn't come naturally ??? We get tired and sleepy and eyes droop and the brain gets mushy and we want to do what? Sleep!!!

Which is what I am going to do now. All this brain teasing in the Psychology Today article has made tired. I need a nap.

What Do You Really See

Don't look at me
What you see
Are today's clothes
Today's face
Not the real thing

Don't reach out to me
Not in that way
I don't have what you want
I won't be what you need
Release me

Don't think you know me
Our paths barely cross
Your face is already forgotten
My breath you still crave
But I am already gone

Please look at me

Two Packages In The Mail

Badass Geek had a fun little contest that I participated in and was one of the lucky blogs to win a Badass Geek pin. My pin arrived in the mail today and I put it on my sweatshirt as soon as I opened the package. Thank you to Badass Geek and The Boss for the pin. My pin is one of the eye heart Badass Geek pins.

Also, in today's mail, I received a book from Lou at Subdural Flow. The title of the book is This Is Not The Life I Ordered--50 Ways to keep your head above water when life keeps dragging you down, by four women: Deborah Collins Stephens, Jackie Speier, Jan Yanehiro and Michealene Cristini Risley. I read the Contents, Acknowledgments, Introductions, and Preface right away, and will begin reading the book tomorrow.
Thank you, Lou!

Remember When

Toot! Toot! Not like a regular car horn, this sound attracted the neighbors from several houses away. Children ran and got to the van before the driver could come to a complete stop. The adults who were home were slow to arrive as the doors were thrown open on the rear of the van.

Oooh! The children squeezed in closer to get a look. The driver pulled out the first drawer. The aroma was so tantalizing some of the children were dizzy. Not many people had enough money to purchase the wares. It was enough to see and smell the delights.

These were poor people living in rural areas. For some, walking was their only transportation. The truck brought doughnuts, cupcakes, birthday cakes bread and rolls to the neighborhood. Oh, the lucky ones who were tasting the bakery delights that night!