From the moment I heard that Laurie Wagner was going to interview Mark Nepo in a workshop setting I knew I had to attend. The day arrived, and sure that I had registered and paid, I tried to log in. Nothing doing. Scurrying, I decided to sign up and pay again. I thought it was worth it even if I had already paid. I was almost panic-stricken. I really wanted to hear this poet live.
I can tell you while one part of me felt frantic, another part was flabbergasted that I was having such desperate feelings about hearing a poet speak. A few years ago, I didn’t appreciate poetry. But since completing Wild Writing Teacher training, I’ve learned how poetry opens up long-dormant places in my brain. I wanted to learn from Wagner and Nepo.
Using every technical skill I could muster; I got registered and was relieved to see that I had missed only a couple of minutes.
Sitting back in my chair, I tried to give my attention to what was unfolding before me. But I sat up straighter when Mark Nepo talked to Laurie about the difference between giving attention and getting attention. Here’s where it got really interesting. He posited that what brings us truly alive is not getting attention but giving attention.
This goes against common sense thinking, which says that if we get attention, we will appear important, feel seen, and know we are living the good life. In this day of social media – we want others to pay attention to us – we want to present ourselves in ways that will garner attention and followers. We want to get attention. I’m guilty of this. I check how many likes I receive when I post on Instagram, hoping my post will go viral.
In order to give attention, we have to slow down. This allows us to focus our attention. In practical terms, this makes it easier for us to register for workshops we really want to attend without forgetting.
But on a deeper level, Nepo suggested that anything we pay attention to becomes miraculous. He quoted Thomas Merton, who said, “If we really saw each other, we would fall down and worship one another.”
Listening to Nepo talking about giving attention, I felt grateful I was paying attention as listening – giving attention – made me feel really alive!
Can you remember a time when giving attention made something miraculous?
IMAGE: This is almost miraculous – another new leaf from our over twenty-year-old plant in the kitchen. I water it every Monday.
