Joshua Bell performs incognito in Washington, D.C. Metro station

In a Washington, D.C. Metro station on a cold January morning in 2007, a man with a violin played six Bach pieces. During his performance approximately two thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes after the young man began playing a middle aged man slowed his pace and turned to look at the musician, but kept on walking.

Half a minutes later the violinist received his first dollar; a woman threw the money in the hat without stopping.

Not until six minutes into the performance did someone actually stand against a wall and listen.

A three-year old boy tried to stop and listen but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped and looked at the violinist again, but the mother pushed harder and the child continued to walk, turning his head to look at the musician as he walked away. This action was repeated by several other children; parents, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

In the forty-three minutes that the violinist played, seven people stopped what they were doing to take in the performance. Twenty-seven gave money – most of them on the run – for a total of $32 and change. The remaining 1,070 people hurried by, oblivious to the music, few even turning to look. As he finished playing, silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded. He received no recognition.

The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played some of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days prior, 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 (Read the full, original Washington Post article here).

In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? 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 in life?

I didn’t know what to expect at the Veggie Fest 2009. Advertised as “Good Food, Healthy Living,” the fourth annual Chicagoland event was sponsored by Science of Spirituality, a non-profit organization located in Naperville, Illinois whose members are deeply committed to a spiritual way of life based on meditation, service to others, and personal transformation.

2009 Veggie Fest, sponsored by Science of Spirituality Mission in Naperville, Illinois

With temperatures in the low 90′s and humidity hovering near 100%, it was not an auspicious beginning.  In the sweltering heat I wandered through rows of booths, sampling eco-friedly products and picking up literature from massage therapists and other alternative health practitioners. Within minutes I was hot, damp, and uncomfortable. Then I spotted the meditation tent. The man at the door smiled and invited me in, adding, “Surprise! It’s air conditioned.” Beautiful, blissful air conditioning. Read the rest of this entry »

This is how I used to feel about my life:

And that is why I now travel, take photographs, and write…..life is about the journey, not about the destination.

Everything happens for a reason. I was on the last leg of my trip home and had every intention of driving straight through to Sarasota when I got a phone call from the contractor I had hired to install a new kitchen in the Key West apartment. Apparently Home Depot no longer keeps the type of cabinets I need in stock; ordering them would take eight weeks, during which time I would be unable to rent the apartment. I had no choice but to detour through Florida City and see if I could buy what I needed at that Home Depot and have it transferred to the Key West store.

Two hours later I headed out again and, rather that retrace my steps to take Alligator Alley across the state, I turned onto Krome Avenue, bound for Tamiami Trail. Passing through downtown Homestead, I noticed banners on the light poles advertising “Coral Castle.” The name was familiar; I vaguely recalled reading about this attraction on the Internet and bookmarking it, thinking it would be an interesting place to visit. I thought briefly about detouring to see it but then dismissed the idea; I really wanted to get back home. Not long afterward the sun started to set and I changed my mind. Crossing through 100 miles of deserted, black Everglades when I was exhausted was simply not a good idea, so I turned back toward Homestead, sure I would find a motel along Rt. 1. Instead, I ran straight into the Coral Castle.

There was no way I could NOT stop. It was quite clear this is where I was supposed to be.

Overview of site, showing massive sculptures mounted atop the perimeter walls

From the moment I stepped through the main gate, I knew this was a powerful place. It positively throbbed with energy. The perimeter of the rectangular area was delineated by a two story wall of coral blocks, within which stood dozens of Read the rest of this entry »

Taking a break from my physical journey today to work on the inner journey, and I can’t think of a better way to do that than to share this amazing video sent to me by my friend Karen. Peace and love to you all…

Benjamin Zander, conductor with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, spoke at TED recently. Beginning with an amusing discussion of classical music and what he calls “one-buttock playing,” his speech takes unexpected twists and turns that he connects with beautifully played Chopin. At the end of his remarks, Zander leaves us with a final, prophetic question. Watch it to the end – he is remarkable and his speech reminded me of my commitment to treat everyone with loving kindness.

I didn’t see the lunar eclipse yesterday. It occurred around 8 am. and the sky would have been way to bright (I say “would have been” because at 8 a.m I was still sound asleep, having worked on various writing projects until 3 a.m.). But I didn’t need to see it. I could feel it, and that was quite enough.

Yesterday was just plain Ugh! My energy was so low I could barely function. Everything seemed a giant struggle. Every time the phone rang I wanted to throw it at the wall, because I just knew it would be another problem. I couldn’t write. Heck, I couldn’t even think. They say that the energy of a lunar eclipse is about leaving the past behind and looking forward, but I just felt stuck.

This came on the heels of a month of compete indecision over where to take my life next. I know Lonely Planet is seeking an editor for their Laos guidebook. Should I go off to Laos and Malaysia for a couple of months? To Scandinavia to try and see the Northern Lights? Some time prior to June 15th I need to return to North Carolina to complete my annual real estate continuing education requirement. My father wants me to come back to Illinois for a couple of weeks this summer. I’m thinking about going to a Yoga retreat somewhere, although I don’t know where. Yet with so many options, I was incapable of figuring out what to do.

This morning, even though I’d been up until nearly 4 a.m again, I virtually Read the rest of this entry »

I saw “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” this evening.

I laughed. I wept. My heart ached. Joy welled up from deep within my soul. This is a movie everyone should see. I can sum up its message with one quote from Benjamin (Brad Pitt):

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”

I found myself measuring my life against those profound words: Read the rest of this entry »

It was my anniversary yesterday. On January 24, 1996 I walked into the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous, and that was the last time I ever had a drink or used drugs.

The day was a little surreal for me. In some ways it felt like I just got clean and sober yesterday; in other ways it felt like it happened a hundred years ago. I was living in Puerto Rico at the time, managing a bar (great place for a drunk to work!). I was partying every night and sleeping less and less. One night, after hours of drinking and lots of coke, my heart began beating so hard I thought it was going to come right out of my chest. I broke out in a cold sweat and got up to splash some water on my face. When I glanced up into the mirror, I was shocked by my appearance. My face was pasty gray, my skin hung, and my eyes were dull and glazed over. In that instant, I knew I was going to die soon if I didn’t stop.

Flash forward 13 years. My cheeks are pink and my eyes sparkle. I am healthy and happy. My life is wonderful. I know how this happened – lots of hard work and sticking to the principles of AA – but I don’t know why. I often wonder, “Why me?” Read the rest of this entry »