The Man With The Violin

I was in a period of my life where I was surrounded by random meaninglessness and several life changes. I had begun to see and yet I was still so blind. I was at the end...no where left to turn...no friends...no family, and yet a life still full of rancid obligations and an overwhelming sense of failure. Going nowhere, I wandered aimlessly wondering if any person I had passed was any better off than I. Each bit of eye contact I dared to make from within my introversion reflected only emptiness. It all felt so futile.

I wandered so far on one particular day that I found myself in unknown territory. I was lost in my own city. As I walked on, I became aware of a beautiful sound over the chaotic noise of traffic passing by. I moved closer to it so I could figure out where it was coming from. I was intrigued.

I spotted The Man With The Violin.

I felt compelled to watch and listen. It was rare enough to see anyone playing a violin downtown...we have the trumpet man, the drum guy, and even a couple guitar people who play in hopes that someone will drop some coin in their open cases...but this was different. The Man With The Violin was not begging for change. He was not doing it for the money. In fact, he was very well dressed, and he had laid no open case in front of him.

It didn't take long for me to realize why this music was so unique. He was so into what he was doing...he loved it so much....that The Man With The Violin had BECOME the music. It was almost as if he had created his own world that had transcended time: a moment of perfection in the oneness of the present moment. It was not possible to feel my unhappiness because hearing and seeing him play, and simply being a part of his radiant joy in that moment dispelled all of my melancholy. Nothing existed for him but the music and it was good and he was happy. It was the most exquisite music I have ever heard and one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I bet most other people who passed him on that day didn't even notice. Or maybe they did but couldn't quite put their finger on what was so special about The Man With The Violin's beautiful melody.

I noticed. And it changed something inside me. You know how something can be said to you over and over again, but one day someone says the same thing using slightly different words and it all becomes clear? Hearing The Man With The Violin's music was like explaining the whole of reality in a different way. I saw how such pleasure could come from the most likely to be overlooked moments...the small things. He helped me with one of my clearest insights into simply 'being' in the NOW. True joy comes from experience in the present moment, not in planning for the future or reliving past memories. I never want to forget this again. (I'm so glad that I have such good friends who have recently given me well-timed reminders). He also pointed out that NOW was also the way in which one could realize our connectedness with everything else.

I still think of The Man With The Violin from time to time, and I remain grateful for his unintended but priceless gift.

I remembered this again today and thought I'd write about it.