At a time that can seem dominated by difference, US poet and philosopher Mark Nepo says we’re far more connected than we think. No matter where we come from or what divides us, we all long to belong
“I was in London recently when I saw a woman just miss her bus. Going around the corner, the driver spotted her in his rearview mirror and waited,” says Mark Nepo. “It was a quiet moment of compassion, which almost nobody noticed. If there had been an accident, everybody would have stood around gaping. When things fall apart, they make a lot of noise. When things come together, it’s much quieter.”
Nepo sees community as a light in the darkest of times. Whether it’s the resistance during the Holocaust or rebuilding after nuclear devastation in Nagasaki, throughout history people have come together when things have seemed incredibly bleak.
His latest book, More Together Than Alone – which has been 14 years in the writing – is packed with such tales. “I wanted to give attention to this quiet but strong lineage of care and interdependence,” he tells me. “To gather stories of when we’ve worked well together, and the lessons from them.”