Reflection: The Drum Major Instinct

Today was a pretty slow day so cracked open The Civically Engaged Reader: A Diverse Collection of Short Provocative Readings on Civic Activity.  It's a collection of essays and speeches from biblical times to the present that inspire and encourage people to get involved with their community, one way or another.  There's a section on service in the book, which is why, I'm sure, that it wound up on the VISTA Leader bookshelf in the first place.  I thumbed through the table of contents--I didn't recognize anything in the section except for Martin Luther King's "The Drum Major Instinct", a sermon that I feel is under-appreciated, except among us cool kids who have devoted our lives to volunteerism.  It's the one in which Dr. King proclaims that, "everybody can be great because everybody can serve."  However, no one really seems to hit on what that "drum major instinct" is.

Dr. King explains the drum major instinct as that desire for attention, the need to feed our egos.  While he felt that the drum major instinct wasn't necessarily a bad thing, he noted that it could become dangerous when our sense of pride gets out of control.

I'm very familiar with the concept of the drum major--I was in marching band for throughout high school and college.  Throughout high school, I always thought that it would be really cool to be the one up front--the one in white with a cape that conducts the band and does the cool salute.  I even tried out for the position a few times, but to no avail--I was convinced that my directors couldn't recognize talent if it punched them in the face.  But what for?  To improve my leadership skills?  To do something that I thought I would enjoy?  To be of service to my fellow band members?  Nope.  It was so that all eyes would be on me and everyone could think, "oh, look at Liz.  Isn't she talented," or at least that's what was rattling around in my head at age 15.  Really, that's a downright stupid thing to think because when there are 120 people playing music and making giant shapes on a football field, the crowd doesn't look at the person in the white pants waving their arms around like a maniac for more than a few seconds.  Really, that desire to be up front or to stand out is completely irrelevant.

The drum major instinct is something that many VISTAs tend  to struggle with, especially early on in their term.  In many cases, some things would just not work if it weren't for a VISTA being there to do that extra work that no one else has the time or ability to do and its easy to feel under-appreciated if people don't go out of their way to acknowledge it.   It's that drum major instinct that can get in the way of enjoying the experience of your service term when you get upset that you didn't get that pat on the back you thought you deserved.  That's a true testament of our lack of real-world experience and that college student sense of entitlement.  After all, does life give you a medal when you do what you're supposed to?  VISTA service, or rather service in general isn't about being recognized or being that one, stand-out individual.  It takes more than just one VISTA to make a change for the better--it takes community members to come together and put in the time and money to make an effort not only successful, but sustainable as well.  And can we truly accomplish something for the good of the whole when we enter into it with self-serving attitudes?  I don't think that's how it works.

Let's go back to Dr. King.  He said, "he who is greatest among you shall be your servant."  The truly great are the ones who engage in service.  This being a sermon, you can be sure that he meant humble servant.  The humble servant doesn't care if they're recognized--they don't need to feel important in order to feel fulfilled.  They are so willing to help because they feel it is their duty.  Their only concern is that everyone around them is safe, comfortable, and happy.  They are great because they are able to let go of that drum major instinct that is so deeply rooted in the human psyche.

I said all that because I want to talk about Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on the 16th.  I don't know if you plan on volunteering next Monday, but if you do, I want you to be sure to not only model Martin Luther King in action, but also in spirit.  Think about that humble servant mentality.  Can you imagine what a community of humble servants can do?  After all, in the 1960s, a movement of humble servants changed American society forever...

-Liz-