सबसे मुश्किल है उसे देखना जो आंख के ठीक सामने हो!

दिन भर से Goethe को लेकर और उनके "पत्तो से फूल बनने" के कांसेप्ट के साथ घींगा-मुश्ती करते हुए भी अब थकान होने लगी है। पर फ़िर भी आज Goethe की सारी बातों का जो निचौड़ निकला वों यही निकला . कुछ इस अंदाज मे भी की आँख को जो दिखाई देता है, क्या पूरा भी दिखाई देता है ? या कहे तो ठीक आँख के सामने की ही चीज़ देखने का मौका हम निकाल नही पाते।
और १८वी शताब्दी से २१वी तक यही बात बदली नही है। वॉशिंगटन पोस्ट मे छपी इस स्टोरी से तो यही लगता है, की रोजमर्रा के जीवन मे, आँखों के सामने से कितनी अमूल्य चीजे गुजरती रहे, किसे फुर्सत है जो देखे? जो पहचाने? जो जिए,....इस मशीनी रफ़्तार मे........
ओरिजिनल आर्टिकल और वीडीयो का यहाँ पर है।

लब्बोलुबाब कहानी का ये है.
On a cold morning in January 2007, a man arrived at a Washington DC station and started to play the violin for about 45 minutes during rush hour, offering up six baroque masterpieces by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was calculated that thousands of commuters passed through that central metro station while he played.

Three minutes went by before a middle-aged man slowed his pace, stopped for a few seconds, but then hurried on to meet his schedule.

A minute later, without stopping, a woman threw a dollar bill into his open case.

A few minutes later a man leaned against the wall to listen, but then looked at his watch and quickly left.

One, a little boy who stopped the longest, was mustered away by his mother, but turned his head back to listen, craning all the way. This scene was repeated with several children, while all the parents without exception, forced them quickly on.

Over the 45 minutes which the violinist played, only a half dozen people stopped to listen. In all, about twenty gave money. His take was little over $30. When the violinist finished playing, no one applauded; no one seemed to take notice. One commuter alone recognized the violinist as Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world (three days prior, he had sold out a concert in Boston for up to $100 a seat).

During those 45 minutes, Joshua played some of the most intricate pieces ever written, all on a 1713 Stradivari bought for over three million dollars.

This world-class soloist playing incognito in a subway station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about people's perceptions, taste and priorities. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment, at an uncommon hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context? The Post won a Pulitzer for the feature.

One question one might take away from this experiment: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the finest musicians in the world playing some of the most extraordinary music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

Here is hoping each of you can stop and see all of the beauty out there!