Love Today...

Everybody's gonna love today,
Gonna love today, gonna love today
I said,
Everybody's gonna love today, gonna love today,
Anyway you want to, anyway you've got to,
Love love me, love love me, love love.

Some Dance to Remember...Some Dance to Forget.

You Say it best...when you say nothing at all..

Love...an emblem of eternity

Love...Etched Forever

MY HEART WILL GO ON

With Love.....From Me

Heart-wrapped.

My Love Don't Cost A Thing

Hold Me Now...Touch Me Now..

Anyway you want to, anyway you've got to,
Love love me, love love me, love love.

Love Song of the Year...

My love song of the year, and perhaps the most complete overall song too. The melody is haunting and at times grand . I really like the emphasis on the piano and sitaar. The lyrics by Prasoon Joshi are phenomenal.

Honorable mention to the word 'Malhaar' (merry song sung during the rains, often as a prayer for rain),

Kaise mujhe tum mil gayi,
Kismat pe aaye naa yaakeen,
Utar aayi jheel mein jaise chand utarta hai kabhi,
Haule haule dheere se,
Gunguni dhoop ki tarah se taranum mein tum,
Choo ke mujhe guzari hu yu,
Dekhu tumhe ya mein sunu,
Tum ho sukoon, tum ho junoon,
Kyu pehle naa aayi tum?
Kaise mujhe tum mil gayi,
Kismat pe aaye naa yaakeen,

Mein to yeh sochta tha ki aaj kal,
Upar wale ko fursat nahi,
Phir bhi tumhe bana ke woh,
Meri nazar mein chadh gaya,
Rutbe mein woh aur badh gaya..

Badle raaste jharne aur nadi,
Badli deep ki timtim,
Chedhe zindagi dhun koi nayee,
Badli barkha ki rimjhim,
Badlengi rituyein adaa,
Par mein rahungi sada,
Ussi tarah teri bahon mein baahein daalke,
Har lamha, har pal..

Zindagi sitar ho gayi,
Rimjhim malhaar ho gayi,
Mujhe aata nahi kismat pe apni yakeen,
Kaise mujhko mili tum..

MY FAVOURITE LINES...

Mein to yeh sochta tha ki aaj kal,
Upar wale ko fursat nahi,
Phir bhi tumhe bana ke woh,
Meri nazar mein chadh gaya,
Rutbe mein woh aur badh gaya..

I used to despair at
the Lord ignoring me
But I (now) worship Him
for having created you
For His eminence.

A Stranger From My Land...

A stranger from my land,
Not once but twice put
forth a hand.

The conversation from day end to a new day,
brought us close and wished this day would never end.
By at the end i knew i would never get such a friend.

I didn't see and didn't realize what lies beneath his face,
And when i did i felt a nexus and wished to embrace.

But when he'll leave and go on with his life
I will like a stranger here and so on in my life.

Pendleton Street

***********
" When I walk myself down Pendleton Street,
The Sun beats down...
No shoes on my feet..
And I stumble on a *daisy* through concrete...
************

The Departure...

A Strange rendezvous. Two Strangers meet . One Sleepy town. In a Big world.
Emotions.
Sleepless nights.
Daydreams.
Love.

A sweet girl and a nice boy.
The boy has to go back to his land.
The girl has to stay back.

Some days later,
The two meet for the last time at the Airport.

They look into each others eyes.
They hug,
They kiss,
The girl gives red roses to the boy.
They wave each other good bye.
The boy flies away.
The girl stands there. At the Airport.
And then she starts walking back.

And as she walks from the departure terminal....she is singing...slowly...to herself.

I'm a big big girl

In a big big world
It's not a big big thing if u leave me
But I do do feel
That I do do will
Miss u much
Miss u much

I can see the first leafs falling
It's all yellow and nice
It's so very cold outside
Like the way I'm feeling inside

Outside it's no raining
And tears are falling from my eyes
Why did it have to happen
Why did it all have to end

I have your arms around me
Warm like fire
But when I open my eyes......
Your gone

I'm a big big girl
In a big big world
It's not a big big thing
If u leave me
But I do
Feel I will
Miss u much
miss u much

Nothing Really Matters...

"Nothing Really Matters"




Nothing really matters
Love is all we need
Everything I give you
All comes back to me

Looking at my life
It's very clear to me
I lived so lonely
I was the only one

I realize
That nobody wins
Something is ending
And something begins


Nothing takes the past away
Like the future
Nothing makes the darkness go
Like the light


You're shelter from the storm
Give me comfort in your arms

When Nothing Really Matters
You are the only for me..
O Lord You are the only One for Me.

I Believe...

I believe-
that we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.


I believe-
that no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every
once in a while and you must forgive
them for that.



I believe-
that true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.



I believe-
that you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.



I believe-
that it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.


I believe-
that you should always leave loved ones
with loving words. It may be the last
time you see them.



I believe-
that you can keep going
long after you can't.



I believe-
that we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.



I believe-
that either you control your attitude
or it controls you.



I believe-
that regardless of how hot and
steamy a relationship is at first,
the passion fades and there had
better be something else to take
its place.



I believe-
that heroes are the people
who do what has to be done
when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.




I believe-
that my best friend and I can do anything
or nothing and have the best time.




I believe-
that sometimes the people you expect
to kick you when you're down,
will be the ones to help you get back up.



I believe-
that sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me
the right to be cruel.



I believe-
that just because someone doesn't love
you the way you want them to doesn't
mean they don't love you with all they have.


I believe-
that maturity has more to do with
what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them
and less to do with how many
birthdays you've celebrated.



I believe-
that it isn't always enough to be
forgiven by others. Sometimes you
have to learn to forgive yourself.



I believe-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.


I believe-
that our background and circumstances
may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.




I believe-
that just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other
And just because they don't argue,
it doesn't mean they do.


I believe-
that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a
secret. It could change your life forever.



I believe-
that two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different.



I believe-
that your life can be changed in a matter of
hours by people who don't even know you.



I believe-
that even when you think you have no more
to give, when a friend cries out to you
you will find the strength to help.



I believe-
that credentials on the wall do not make
you a decent human being.



I believe-
that the people you care about most in life
are taken from you too soon.

Luck. By Chance

You have to wait.
For everything.
This is true.
But, how much you have to wait?
It depends.
Actually.
You have to decide how long you gonna wait for something you desire.
An ambition, a dream, a fantasy...and you, the wannabe.
So, once you pack your bags and stand in the long que to wait for your turn, there are two things that can happen , certainly.
One by Luck. The other, by Chance.


The movie by debutant director Ms.Zoya Akhtar leaves this very message in a slow, sweet, subtle manner.
Weaving a thick plot of characters who meander through a plethora of emotions as they jumble and mumble inside the mystic world of our film industry.
The central characters are two wannabes who want to make it big in the industry and wait for their turn to strike gold.
Vikram (Farhan Akhtar) as Mr.Opportunist , and Sona (Konkona Sen) as Ms. Congeniality who move to Mumbai, the city of dreams to fulfill their ambition of becoming 'Stars'. But before that, they become neighbours, and then friends and then lovers. All By Chance.
And then Luck takes over Vikram's part and he doesnt think twice as he lets his charm mix his luck with equal ease. Contributing to his self indulgence are the Who's who of Bollywood. The scrip-writers, the casting directors, the producers, the financers, the heroine, the heroine's mother, the director and the actors. The Star is in the Making.

Meanwhile, our Little Miss Sunshine (Sona) struggles to keep her feet grounded in the same world. She steps into reality at her own stride but fails to keep pace with the demands of the feisty world of stardom.

The movie showcases and exposes very brutal and vicious look of what goes around and behind the screens...but all with an elusive, insidious and pernicious nuances of storytelling.

The huge ensemble of stars in the film might be a highlight or a means of promotion , but they hardly make their presence felt. They actually drift in and out of the story without an introduction and leave their mark with effortless repartee.

Hrithik Roshan makes a special appearance and does make his each moment look very special .
His dance number, "Baawre" is a masterpiece choreography with a riot of folk colors and dance.
Isha Sherwani simply sizzles in her gymnastic dance movements, Hrithik is equally elastic as ever, the music is an encore and the cinematography a feast for the eyes!


Hrithik gives justice to his character of a Bollywood Super Star by throwing all the requisite star tantrums and witticism. He steals much of the show with his screen presence and looks.
There is one scene where he is inside his car and the street urchins look at him through his glass window and try to touch the icon. What a moment! A masterpiece.
Also, Watch out as he gives a sinister look at Farhan, the upcoming star, in a premiere party. And you'll know what being a SuperStar is all about.



Isha Sherwani, as Nikki , alongwith her StarMom , Dimple Kapadia, is a treat to watch. She is nubile, naive, cute and extremely vulnerable whereas Dimple is an old wine in a new bottle. Intoxicating, sauve and exceedingly manipulative. And she does have all the reasons to be.

Rishi Kapoor , the only performer who goes over the top and loud , does cast his spell as the superstitious producer and gives the film the much needed respite and funny element. So does, the 'Hollywood inspired' Director, Sanjay Kapoor who is mostly lost in dreams of lavish song and dance sequences ala Bollywood.

Kudos to Farhan. He has shown what it takes to be a great perfomer. Just get into the character and play it cool. Thats his mantra , and he makes it look easy. His voice may be hoarse, but he knows how to ride the horse. Atleast, without much ado, he looks charming and affectionate, lean and mean, flirty and demanding, resilient and explosive. Starry yet so earth-like.
The best of his expressions come alive as he steps into the audition room, the song "Sapno se bhare naina" playing in the background. Just follow his eyes. Rivetting!

Watch out the quandary and dilemmas of friendship, love, ambition, principles,ethics and morals as this quiescent, almost drowsy tale of luck and chance floats on its uneasy and quesy waters.

You have to wait. Actually.Patiently.
Till the very last moment of the film,which perhaps is the most defining turn of events and quite quite intriguing and touching.

Hear that dialogue between Konkona and Farhan in the penultimate scene, as Sona and Vikram, they try to defy rationale and justify their acts.
You would remember those words for a long long time, especially Konkona's parting lines.
Well earned. Worth your time and money.
Not for the masses, or the regular audience;Exclusive, elegant and completly uncliched , this is niche' cinema. At its best.
Kudos to Zoya, for making it a 'Cut' above (and behind) the Rest.

Thoughts, feelings...and You.

ARE we judged by our actions alone, or for our thoughts and feelings as well? A question which has bothered most of us at some point — does loyalty extend to thoughts and feelings or is it limited to action alone?

For that matter, when you give someone a gift you would really rather not give, do you actually get a tick for your generous action, or a cross for your negative thoughts? When you do somebody harm but bleed inwardly as you execute it, are you bad because you caused harm or good because you felt bad while doing so? When you told your friend you forgive her but secretly desired to wring her neck, were you good or bad?

It’s true that since nobody can really figure out your thoughts, people would generally judge you for your actions. But the point is are you really, really good when just your actions are good? Or, do you need the solid backing of pristine clean thoughts and emotions as well?

Sometimes we just cannot help our thoughts and feelings, however we may try. But actions are certainly within our control. How can you avoid hating or thinking ill of the person who harmed you intentionally? And yet you can easily mask that hatred and act as if nothing is wrong.
Yet you can hold yourself back from acting on that impulse. And this ability is probably what keeps us all sane and civilized…
And if thoughts and emotions are not within our control most of the time, why should one feel guilty because of them? So long as your actions are correct, should what you think or feel make you guilty? Kindness and goodness cannot always be about how you feel or think, but about how you act… surely we are judged not for our thoughts, but for our actions, which are within our control? So then why feel guilty about any wayward thoughts?

The reason there is a gap between what you think or feel and the way you act is because of the clash of values in almost every circumstance. Those who have clear cut values are more likely to have thoughts that result in action. These people are mostly clear about what they want; are well-respected and looked up to. They are also likely to be predictable people who lead fairly predictable lives.
However those who have a more flexible value system are more likely to have conflicting thoughts (the result of what they are) and actions (an attempt to conform to the socially acceptable.) Their thoughts and actions waver forever to suit every different circumstance.
Not all thoughts become action, though all actions emanate from some thought or feeling.
But can you change your thoughts? Do you have the same control over them as you do over your actions? There are those who say that one can control one’s thoughts if one tries hard enough. And yet, for all the high moral ground occupied by many, I would like to meet one person who has never acted against a thought or emotion. However, even though you may not be able to control all thoughts, you can certainly choose the thoughts that you wish to act upon.

And therein lies the key to the rather complicated relationship between thoughts, feelings and actions…
In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson,
“Watch your words. They become deeds. Watch your deeds. They become habits. Watch your habits. They become character. Character is everything.”



And by carefully choosing the thoughts we wish to act upon, we are able to establish habits and so help formulate our own character.

Towards Happiness...

• Don’t label situations or experiences as good or bad
• Empower yourself to be happy
• Look within for happiness
• Don’t get affected by bad news
• Choose your emotions.
• Keep saying, ‘I choose to be happy’
• Conserve your energy, don’t let people sap it l If you’re hurt, don’t be dependent on anyone else to heal
• Don’t indulge in hurt
• Don’t be imprisoned in your past or have self-pity

Relax.

• Think of a place or a time that you particularly enjoy.
• Laugh often and watch movies that tickle your funny bone.
• Don’t jump to conclusions. Listen to others.
• Instead of revisiting hurtful events in your mind, forgive the person who wronged you.

When I Dream at Night

I have been alone

I have traveled over many miles

to find a home

there's that little place

inside of me

that I never thought could

take control of everything

but now I just spend all my time

with anyone

who makes me feel


'Cause I only feel alive

when I dream at night


I've so many things I want to say

I'll be ready when

the perfect moment

comes my way

I had never known

what's right for me

'til the night

Cause I only feel alive

when I dream at night...

The Magic of the Night.

The season of long nights gives us a little more time to enjoy night’s fruits. Night, as we see it, was created by God along with the day from light says the Book of Genesis. But what was there before light if not a long night of abiding silence and darkness? It’s therefore more ancient than the day. And for the same reason, it transports us spiritually to the beginning of the Creation.

Night is essential to maintain the biological rhythm of all creatures. But for us human beings, who are naturally diurnal, it has an added significance. Its gifts of silence, tranquillity, darkness, the moon and a sky lit with stars, are a balm for not only the tired body, but also for the restless mind, the sad heart and the troubled soul. Night is a great companion, and a good listener. It allows one to talk one’s heart out without even speaking.

If day reveals the world in bright colours, night brings alive the heavens. If day keeps us rooted to the ground, night hearkens the spirit to rise above the mundane. We have different ways of achieving that. Poets do it by communion with their muse, thinkers delve into deep thought, artists let their imagination fly, astronomers explore the deep mysteries of the universe and others dream.

Night’s beauty and charm have been part of folklore.
“I often think that the night is more alive and more richly coloured than the day,” said Vincent Van Gogh.
His sentiments are immortalised in his painting, The Starry Night, which captures night’s eternal beauty. The night had cast such a spell on the painter that he created the masterpiece during daytime from memory.


Darkness, night’s daughter, is usually associated with gloom and ignorance. But it has its own force and character. Light is fickle and shallow but darkness is steadfast. And it has depth. “O radiant Dark/ O darkly fostered ray/ Thou hast a joy too deep for shallow Day,” wrote George Elliot in The Spanish Gypsy.

Light is a veneer, concealing more than it reveals. It stands for differentiation. That this difference is only illusory, is revealed by darkness. On the one hand darkness emphasises the essential oneness of everything. On the other hand it lays bare the true nature of everything. Light is beguiling in that we see things more through visual perception. But darkness, by sharpening all our perceptions — sensory and extrasensory — allows us to form a more holistic picture of everything.

Used as a metaphor, darkness has a valuable lesson. In the bright sunshine of life everything looks good and every person a friend. Only when darkness descends we begin to realise what is what and who is who, bringing us closer to the truth. Darkness guides us to tap our inner light. In addition, darkness reveals stars. And what are they if not harbingers of hope and windows to new horizons?

The certainty of night’s arrival at the end of the day points to the eternal truth that all things we perceive must come to pass. This realisation is painful if we focus on pleasures but the thought is comforting when we turn our gaze to life’s sorrows and suffering. It brings home the wisdom that they are the happiest who neither get too attached to life’s good things nor are weighed down by adversity.

Night is also a metaphor for death though it is live and dynamic. And so should be death — neither inert nor conclusive but only a throbbing interregnum. Our end, therefore, must be viewed as the womb from which a new beginning is born. That’s what the poet must have meant when he said,
“In my end is my beginning.”

A Big Big Girl ...in a Big Big World.

A Strange rendezvous. Two Strangers meet . One Sleepy town. In a Big world.
Emotions.
Sleepless nights.
Daydreams.
Love.

A sweet girl and a nice boy.
The boy has to go back to his land.
The girl has to stay back.

Some days later,
The two meet for the last time at the Airport.

They look into each others eyes.
They hug,
They kiss,
The girl gives red roses to the boy.
They wave each other good bye.
The boy flies away.
The girl stands there. At the Airport.
And then she starts walking back.

And as she walks, she is thinking....she is singing...slowly...to herself.

I'm a big big girl

In a big big world
It's not a big big thing if u leave me
But I do do feel
That I do do will
Miss u much
Miss u much

I can see the first leafs falling
It's all yellow and nice
It's so very cold outside
Like the way I'm feeling inside

Outside it's no raining
And tears are falling from my eyes
Why did it have to happen
Why did it all have to end

I have your arms around me
Warm like fire
But when I open my eyes......
Your gone

I'm a big big girl
In a big big world
It's not a big big thing
If u leave me
But I do
Feel I will
Miss u much
miss u much

Turning 60 .

India celebrated its 60th Republic Day on 26 January 2009 with a grand military parade in New Delhi. The Republic Day of India is a national holiday of India to mark the adoption of the Constitution of India and the transition of India from a British dominion to a Republic on Jan. 26, 1950.

Jai Hind

Where is Love?

WE’RE all suckers for a good love story, but unfortunately, not too many of us today are suckers for love! They just don’t make love stories like they used to anymore!

As veteran Dev Anand revealed in his autobiography Romancing With Life, “We shook hands, and let the handshake linger. From good friends to close friends and then to lovers. And our love affair became the talk of the town, nay, of the whole country.”
In her authorised biography, the dream girl of the ‘70s Hema Malini attempted to explain her love with much married fellow actor Dharmendra, “Nobody calculatedly falls in love. It just happens! He recites his poems to me and I tell him about my new ballets and also about the new flower that has blossomed in my garden.”

Most romances don’t last beyond a season, “Love can’t survive if there’s no job, no money, no food on the table or a gas connection. Today, survival is more important than true feelings.” In times of recession, finding and keeping your job is higher on the priority list than the hunt for real passion. Contemporary living calls for a work-life balance, where work calls for high commitment levels. While this has changed the equation, calling for equal partnerships, and yes, huge egos, it also provides an opportunity for creative and individual expression.

“The present generation wants the best of all the worlds. Our perpetual yearning for the ‘real thing’ makes us hop from one relationship to the next.”
“People have low endurance levels. Egos are sky-high. True love calls for compromise.”
Movies too, reflect the new reality. 2008’s breezy youth flicks Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and Bachna Aaye Haseeno saw the heroes flit in and out of love. Director Siddharth Anand opines, “In today’s urban scenario, people go through a series of relationships before settling down with that someone special.”

“The whole notion of love is more practical today to the extent of evaluating whether it’ll last, even before one starts.”

But, despite all the modern-day cynicism, the search for love in its many-splendoured glory continues.
Whenever love happens, it still has the capacity to make one’s world go round… for as long as it may last!

Thank You. And Sorry.

Thank you and sorry are perhaps the first words we learn.
And they stay with us right through our lives as yardsticks of our civility.
But when was the last time we said “thank you” or “sorry” without meaning to simply offload our burden of obligation or guilt?
Indeed, these words no longer express what they are supposed to. Instead, they are used flippantly, thrown around without care, often reduced to an easy way of getting off the hook and evading meaningful action.
They may well be the most used words in times of political correctness. But they are clearly the most abused as well. The emotions of gratitude and apology are vital to the chain of human reciprocity. But in stripping them of sincerity, we also seem to be closing the doors on their benefits for us.
“In ordinary life, we hardly realise that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”
The quality of being thankful implies the disposition to turn goodwill into action and the inclination to return kindness. A “thank you” denotes the attitude of positive acceptance, a determination to employ the kindness or blessing imaginatively and inventively. It connotes the humility of considering oneself the recipient of undeserved merit. “He who receives a benefit with gratitude repays the first instalment on his debt,”
The lack of gratefulness is largely because we take things for granted, brashly presuming that they are either our rightful due or are far less than what we deserve. What holds us back from being grateful is such lack of contentment and an endless craving for more. Often, we insist on waiting for the results of an action or a blessing to show up before expressing gratitude. This indicates a dearth of trust and faith, which pays us back in our own coin.
In a way, gratitude helps us realise the benefits of mindful meditation, which is all about acknowledging and feeling connected with every breath and blessing of life.
We might wonder where the need for gratitude is if we pay for goods and services in money. Gratitude doesn’t even fetch us discounts. In fact, there is a subtle line of distinction between gratitude and ingratiation. So much so that when someone thanks us too many times, we start doubting his intention.
The act of offering and accepting an apology is as profound and healing a human interaction as that of expressing gratitude.
But while the offhand “sorry about that” keeps flying around, our ego prevents us from realising its full potential. The word loses its impact when we refrain from acknowledging our offence (“Sorry for whatever I may have done”) or throw in a self-serving conditionality (“I am sorry if you were hurt”). If the purpose of an apology is only to say, “While I don’t think I was wrong, I will apologise because you say so”, it is best not to offer one, for, the worst we can do is to insult someone’s sensitivity or intelligence by such treatment.

Bestowed with the power to effect reconciliation and mend strained relationships, an apology must involve acknowledging the offense adequately, expressing genuine remorse and offering appropriate reparations, including a commitment to make changes.
“A stiff apology is a second insult,” said novelist and poet G K Chesterton. “The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt.”

The rewards of an apology can only be earned, not embezzled. With everybody from convicts to public figures seeking its refuge, “sorry” is not a quickfix for things gone awry, but the starting point of restoring order. The use of this word must be backed by sincerity of intention. “Never ruin an apology with an excuse,” advises American poet Kimberly Johnson. Seldom does an apology sensitise us to the responsibility of not repeating the same mistake.

A sincere apology helps both parties achieve greater harmony: While the individual making an apology is disencumbered of guilt, shame and fear of retaliation, the one who accepts an apology heals his own humiliations and grudges, rids his mind of the painful preoccupations of revenge and generates forgiveness to bring about greater peace in his own life and in the lives of others around him.
Expressing gratitude and apology without necessarily being grateful or remorseful people is an exercise in futility. Shallow expressions of gratitude and apology are not emotionally evocative and end up producing the contrary result. Often, they are so disengaged and superficial that they fail to motivate altruistic action and positivity.

What matter most here is honesty, generosity, humility, commitment, courage and sacrifice, for these qualities define our true dignity.

Paper Planes

I fly like paper, get high like planes

If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name

If you come around here, I make ‘em all day

I get one down in a second if you wait

Sometimes I think lying on the floor

My thoughts fly all over, insane

No rooms, no walls, no ceilings, no door

Just like paper, get high like planes

A Violinist In Subway

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousand of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but 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 other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on. In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but 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 his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100. This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people.

The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context? One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?