So Not Getting It

Thank God for John Picarello and Stacy Furukawa.
Whenever I’m feeling a little dismayed about issues of recognition and/or people “getting it” –– whether it’s about my creative work or interpersonal communications that are ignored or trampled over –– I find great comfort in the Joshua Bell experiment from the Washington Post a few years ago.  [You really should read the entire article HERE but I will summarize.]
Joshua Bell is arguably the finest violinist in the world (and very cute, too).
He brought his $3.5 million Stradivarius to the Washington, D.C. Metro and played for 43 minutes at rush hour.
Over 1,000 people walked past him and basically only Stacy Furukawa recognized him and only John Picarello noticed there was something rather remarkable going on in front of him.
Of course, there are all sorts of annotations about context and expectations, but one would like to think that if you presented one of the greatest musicians in the world playing some of the greatest music in the world that people might instinctively respond.  [It seems that only children wanted to linger.]
I suppose this might be construed as ultimately very depressing, but I don’t feel that way in part because certainly Joshua Bell is NOT lacking in acclaim and recognition and all their rewards.
I guess I find it calming because sometimes it’s really NOT me, it’s THEM.
Even if it’s the profundity of Bach on a Stradivarius performed by Joshua Bell, almost no one will notice –– and there’s nothing the artist can do about that, really.
Some people are just never going to get it.
(But thank God for the Stacy F’s and John P’s of this world;  sometimes it really does pay to stop and listen –– just watch Stacy F frozen with her white plastic bag for the last part of this time lapse footage over the chaconne.)
Somehow, I find her stillness deeply moving –– she gets it.

[And P.S.  –– Thank the Good Lord for April yesterday at AT&T;  she totally got my iPhone dilemma and adjusted my bill beyond my expectations.  Thank God for people at 800 numbers who “get it.”]