Recognizing Beauty where it is least expected

I normally don't post anything on Sunday, but in my reading today, I ran across this thought. Enjoy.

"It was a busy workday as commuters rushed headlong toward their busy schedules. But on this day in Washington, D.C., something different happened: a 39-year-old man dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and a baseball cap took out an old violin and began to play.

Few people noticed. Most kept their eyes on the ground or looked straight ahead. A few, talking on cell phones, raised their voices in order to be heard over the music. These were, after all, busy people. They had work to do and appointments to keep.

And so they did not stop. And they did not listen. And what they missed was a rare performance by one of the greatest violinists in the world playing his Stradivarius violin, worth more than three million dollars. He chose to play some of the most technically demanding, elegant music ever written for his instrument, and he played with all the passion and perfection that he had become known for throughout the world.

His metro-station concert was part of an experiment proposed by a writer for the Washington Post. The question was "How many people would recognize beauty in a place where it wasn't expected? " During the 43-minute concert, nearly 1,100 people passed by. Of those, only 7 stopped to listen even for a moment.

The writer, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his article about the unheard violinist, summarized the experience with these words: "If we can't take the time out of our lives to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on Earth play some of the best music ever written; if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that--then what else are we missing?"

Indeed, the world offers us daily moments of beauty that can enrich our lives--if we open our eyes and open our hearts."
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Ah--to recognize beauty where we least expect it. That takes our energy and foresight to do so. Don't you think?

I recognized beauty today in a snowstorm. That is unexpected for me. Snow is not my favorite form of precipitation. However, today it was refreshing. You see, it was forecast for yesterday. No big deal really, other than the fact, that my daughter and 5 of her teen-age friends were driving about 5o miles away to attend a college football game. Driving... teenagers... snow...inexperience... distance-- to me, not the best combination. I prayed. I asked if the storm could just be cancelled. Then I prayed to at least have it post-poned until I knew they were all home--safe and sound. It was a sunny and dry day yesterday--YAY!! Answer to prayer--NOT unexpected. Finding beauty in the lightly falling snowflakes today landing on the grass, sidewalks, and ROADS-- very unexpected. All in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. :)

Indeed we have daily moments of beauty that can enrich our lives--if we open our eyes and open our hearts. I hope we can do that. Especially this week. I most likely will not post for a few days as I enjoy Thanksgiving with family and loved ones. If you find unexpected beauty sometime soon, I would love to hear about it. I will check in here and there to read what you have discovered.

Thanks for the unexpected friendships and inspiration that I have found from you, my blog friends. It has been a blessing to read about you, your lives, your families, your joys, your sorrows, and your aspirations. Have a safe and memorable Thanksgiving holiday.

Be Nice to People,
Julie