Hope. I’ve written and thought about resilience and about people who keep showing up. I’ve wondered how they do that, over and over. In my just-released book, I’ve written about the Great Depression and World War II—two of the most hopeless times in history. My characters, like the real people in those times, did what needed doing, often at the cost of their health, their peace of mind, and sometimes their lives.

We act now like those people are all gone and there are no such people left, but I beg to differ. As I reread an article from a year ago (October, 2018, National Geographic) I wonder about the role hope played in those real people’s lives. The article, entitled “Despite Perils, Decide to Hope” lists our current era as a good time to hope. “Our planet is beset by conflict, climate change, pollution, disease, and other hazards, what better time to be hopeful?” reads the title.

Indeed.

The author, Anne Lamott, says we should look to the helpers. Aren’t they the same people who keep showing up and doing what needs doing? Lamott writes that they represent our hope these days. They’re the ones who vaccinate babies and care for ebola patients. They plant trees and study glaciers. They recycle; they develop new drugs; they protect our civil rights; they petition the government; and report on its activities. They keep doing what needs doing—what’s possible. I believe there’s reason to hope, and that all those people doing stuff are driven by hope. Sometimes that’s a radical act.

How about it? Are there any radicals out there?