Breakdown.

You know, every now and then?

It's ok to have a breakdown.

It doesn't mean you're weak.

Or bad.

Or hopeless.

In fact, it sort of means you're hopeful. Full of hope. That you're not alone in all of this. That a call to arms will mean that it will be answered.

That's all I've got for today. I've had some breakdowns this week; and have been relieved. Now onto the next task.

Missing...

have been trying to put together a power-point fundraising presentation tonight.

which is horrible for someone who is bad (ie. read not experienced) at sales.

but at least it's not like writing an online dating profile. cause it's not about me. it's about the thing that i love.

but it's not easy. and then...i saw this on Tumblr tonight.

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest 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 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.

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 this:

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?

This is absolutely incredible. And sad. Mostly sad because as a musician, I wonder if I would even recognize what was happening had I passed by.

(Source: Washington Post)

And it reminds me, that we will pay for things that we qualify as having value. so I'm working on creating a presentation that accurately represents the value of a great show produced by one of the greatest theater companies I've ever worked for.