Comprehensive reflection
“There is music in words, and it can be heard you know, by thinking.” –E.L Doctorow, Homer and Langley
If this quote is true, then I have created a melody in my head by all the thinking and reflecting I have done over the course of this semester. Consistently having my beliefs questioned and digging deeper into certain subjects has allowed me to fully ponder the material in its entirety, not just rely on what society says. With the topic of service and volunteerism, the words of Adam Davis and Ivan Illich ring in my ear every time I go to help someone. Am I really helping? What are my motives? The definition of a citizen has been altered to include more than just the political aspect, as well as the relationship between a citizen and a leader. All of this relates back to community; serving the community, leading the community, changing the community. Having that sense of belonging is important. As I have journeyed through the semester and the topics so crucial in today’s society, I have witnessed personal growth. I have grown, as a leader, as a citizen, as a member of a community, as a volunteer, and I hope I can take that, and do better in the world, or at least be more aware of my impact.
Service. Seems simple, huh? I thought it was all good, never questioned its harm, never questioned whether there would be negative consequences, never questioned whether my services were needed or if I was intruding on somewhere that need not my help. “We do not need to question service or to talk about it; we only need to do it. It even seems that talking about service might be a problem.” (Davis) And a problem it caused. I cannot think about service the same anymore. I have begun to seek the lasting effects of my service before I act. I assess the motives of volunteerism to consider whether they’re done for the right or wrong reasons. In my blog Keep On Cotton On, my first instinct upon hearing about an organization to help children in Uganda was whether they were really helping them or merely creating more, unintentional problems. Interrogation of the goodness of service is healthy, but it can be dangerous. Contemplating upon service can lead one to feel helpless, that no matter what they do, it will never be right, it will never truly fix the issue. This pessimistic life can lead to a decline in service, and then we’re worst off than when we began. Service is about a balance between the two. Realizing that you may solely be putting a band aid on the problem, but that that band aid is potentially helping the problem, even just for a short amount of time. Harold Thurman gives another solution to the pessimistic air about service. He states don’t pay attention to what the world needs, but just to go out and do service that brings you alive because “the world needs people who have come alive.” Even though I don’t exactly agree about neglecting what the world needs, because part of volunteering is doing what is needed, I agree that doing what you’re passionate about, what makes you feel joyful is important. If you feel alive in what you’re doing, you’re going to do it with a devoted heart and more likely than not, it is a need of the world. I feel alive every time I’m around children. Some may say being around children is not community service, but I see it differently. Children are growing and learning individuals. They need influence, direction. They need love and care. How can tending to gardens be service, but not tending to the future generations? Service in its entirety can be confusing, but not realizing its complexities can be detrimental.
I view service as a responsibility of being a citizen. If you’re a citizen, you should work with others to better “the well-being of the larger institution, be it an organization, a neighborhood, or a country.” (Block) I feel the dictionary definition does not define citizenship to its full capabilities. I feel a citizen should be devoted and passionate to whatever they’re a part of. I feel a citizen should care about the country or organization as a whole. Of course there are stipulations to these but this is just my opinion of citizenship. Everybody has a different opinion about it and thus defines it differently. How one defines citizenship relates to how they define a leader. If you hold being a citizen with many responsibilities, then you hold a leader to similar standards, but if you think of a citizen just as a member of a society, you see a leader as someone with higher standards, that takes on your responsibilities. Leaders tend to be put on pedal stools, viewed as higher than everyone else, when in actuality, the best way to lead is to step down and sometimes, not even lead at all. That’s right, the power of assembly is important. “We do not have to live out our intentions through a leader; we can do it directly with each other.” (Block) It’s important that every voice be heard and accounted for, but the truth is that sometimes, this isn’t possible, especially with a community as big as the United States. That’s when representatives and leaders are important and necessary. But what makes one more qualified to be a leader than another? How do you measure leadership? I feel leadership can be measured, but by more than just one standard. Actions, personality, and the situation need to be taken into account. Adolf Hitler was an amazing leader looking at what he accomplished, his support level, and how he handled everything, but given the issue he was leading, I wouldn’t want to follow him.
Everyone has the potential to be a leader, but not everyone is called to be one. People have different skills, and a community is built from everyone bringing their specialized talents, their gifts to the table. I bring positivity, a desire to learn, my faith, and love to the table. McKnight said to focus on what people can do, not their deficiencies because people start to feel hindered by their deficiencies, stunting their growth. I realized it is important to recognize weaknesses because it encourages progress, but not to dwell on them. Community allows for a sense of belonging, despite the differences. It allows for change, as individuals and collectively. Change may not always be easy to implement though. The change lab showed this. The social lab was designed to take a complex social issue affecting today’s society and try to implement a solution. The problem was realizing the fullness of the issue, the fact that we weren’t dealing with a blank canvas. Our issue was obesity in children. We had to take into account that children are the product of their parent’s lifestyles and the community. The socio status of the parents can have an effect on where they live, and where kids live can have a big impact on their health. I realized that when I went to Charleston, WV. Driving around Charleston, it was obvious that it was a poverty-stricken area, primarily based on the food available. The Dollar Generals were the local grocery stores, having only fast food restaurants as an alternative. Fresh produce was scarce, while processed food was plentiful. It made sense as to why West Virginia was rated 2nd nationally for obesity rates. The change labs gave the realization as to the difficulty of trying to modify real world problems.
Through all of this, all the experiences, all the reflection, all the projects, all the discussions, I have grown as a person. I have come to appreciate the importance of reflection through blogging and writing as a way to capture the true meaning of actions, events, or thoughts. Reflections allow me to not accept things for face value, but to dig deeper. I have gained a greater understanding of service so that I may truly live out Ut Prosim in a way that can best benefit the receiver. I’ve learned my strengths (learner, achiever, includer, positivity, and communication) and will be aware of them as I contribute to the community. I have also learned how to go about solving problems better, not to get discouraged by size, uncertainties, or even not being able to find a solution. This course has allowed me to reflect upon myself while reflecting upon society, resulting in gained knowledge and a changed mindset.
Citations:
Block, Peter. Community: the Structure of Belonging. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers,
2008. Print.
Block, Peter. "From Leadership to Citizenship." Trans. ArrayInsights on Leaderships. Larry C. Spears,
John Wiley and Sons Inc. , 1998. Print.
Davis, Adam. "What We Don't Talk About When We Don't Talk About Service." Trans. Array The Civically
Engaged Reader. A. Davis and E. LynnGreat Books Foundation, 2006. Print
If this quote is true, then I have created a melody in my head by all the thinking and reflecting I have done over the course of this semester. Consistently having my beliefs questioned and digging deeper into certain subjects has allowed me to fully ponder the material in its entirety, not just rely on what society says. With the topic of service and volunteerism, the words of Adam Davis and Ivan Illich ring in my ear every time I go to help someone. Am I really helping? What are my motives? The definition of a citizen has been altered to include more than just the political aspect, as well as the relationship between a citizen and a leader. All of this relates back to community; serving the community, leading the community, changing the community. Having that sense of belonging is important. As I have journeyed through the semester and the topics so crucial in today’s society, I have witnessed personal growth. I have grown, as a leader, as a citizen, as a member of a community, as a volunteer, and I hope I can take that, and do better in the world, or at least be more aware of my impact.
Service. Seems simple, huh? I thought it was all good, never questioned its harm, never questioned whether there would be negative consequences, never questioned whether my services were needed or if I was intruding on somewhere that need not my help. “We do not need to question service or to talk about it; we only need to do it. It even seems that talking about service might be a problem.” (Davis) And a problem it caused. I cannot think about service the same anymore. I have begun to seek the lasting effects of my service before I act. I assess the motives of volunteerism to consider whether they’re done for the right or wrong reasons. In my blog Keep On Cotton On, my first instinct upon hearing about an organization to help children in Uganda was whether they were really helping them or merely creating more, unintentional problems. Interrogation of the goodness of service is healthy, but it can be dangerous. Contemplating upon service can lead one to feel helpless, that no matter what they do, it will never be right, it will never truly fix the issue. This pessimistic life can lead to a decline in service, and then we’re worst off than when we began. Service is about a balance between the two. Realizing that you may solely be putting a band aid on the problem, but that that band aid is potentially helping the problem, even just for a short amount of time. Harold Thurman gives another solution to the pessimistic air about service. He states don’t pay attention to what the world needs, but just to go out and do service that brings you alive because “the world needs people who have come alive.” Even though I don’t exactly agree about neglecting what the world needs, because part of volunteering is doing what is needed, I agree that doing what you’re passionate about, what makes you feel joyful is important. If you feel alive in what you’re doing, you’re going to do it with a devoted heart and more likely than not, it is a need of the world. I feel alive every time I’m around children. Some may say being around children is not community service, but I see it differently. Children are growing and learning individuals. They need influence, direction. They need love and care. How can tending to gardens be service, but not tending to the future generations? Service in its entirety can be confusing, but not realizing its complexities can be detrimental.
I view service as a responsibility of being a citizen. If you’re a citizen, you should work with others to better “the well-being of the larger institution, be it an organization, a neighborhood, or a country.” (Block) I feel the dictionary definition does not define citizenship to its full capabilities. I feel a citizen should be devoted and passionate to whatever they’re a part of. I feel a citizen should care about the country or organization as a whole. Of course there are stipulations to these but this is just my opinion of citizenship. Everybody has a different opinion about it and thus defines it differently. How one defines citizenship relates to how they define a leader. If you hold being a citizen with many responsibilities, then you hold a leader to similar standards, but if you think of a citizen just as a member of a society, you see a leader as someone with higher standards, that takes on your responsibilities. Leaders tend to be put on pedal stools, viewed as higher than everyone else, when in actuality, the best way to lead is to step down and sometimes, not even lead at all. That’s right, the power of assembly is important. “We do not have to live out our intentions through a leader; we can do it directly with each other.” (Block) It’s important that every voice be heard and accounted for, but the truth is that sometimes, this isn’t possible, especially with a community as big as the United States. That’s when representatives and leaders are important and necessary. But what makes one more qualified to be a leader than another? How do you measure leadership? I feel leadership can be measured, but by more than just one standard. Actions, personality, and the situation need to be taken into account. Adolf Hitler was an amazing leader looking at what he accomplished, his support level, and how he handled everything, but given the issue he was leading, I wouldn’t want to follow him.
Everyone has the potential to be a leader, but not everyone is called to be one. People have different skills, and a community is built from everyone bringing their specialized talents, their gifts to the table. I bring positivity, a desire to learn, my faith, and love to the table. McKnight said to focus on what people can do, not their deficiencies because people start to feel hindered by their deficiencies, stunting their growth. I realized it is important to recognize weaknesses because it encourages progress, but not to dwell on them. Community allows for a sense of belonging, despite the differences. It allows for change, as individuals and collectively. Change may not always be easy to implement though. The change lab showed this. The social lab was designed to take a complex social issue affecting today’s society and try to implement a solution. The problem was realizing the fullness of the issue, the fact that we weren’t dealing with a blank canvas. Our issue was obesity in children. We had to take into account that children are the product of their parent’s lifestyles and the community. The socio status of the parents can have an effect on where they live, and where kids live can have a big impact on their health. I realized that when I went to Charleston, WV. Driving around Charleston, it was obvious that it was a poverty-stricken area, primarily based on the food available. The Dollar Generals were the local grocery stores, having only fast food restaurants as an alternative. Fresh produce was scarce, while processed food was plentiful. It made sense as to why West Virginia was rated 2nd nationally for obesity rates. The change labs gave the realization as to the difficulty of trying to modify real world problems.
Through all of this, all the experiences, all the reflection, all the projects, all the discussions, I have grown as a person. I have come to appreciate the importance of reflection through blogging and writing as a way to capture the true meaning of actions, events, or thoughts. Reflections allow me to not accept things for face value, but to dig deeper. I have gained a greater understanding of service so that I may truly live out Ut Prosim in a way that can best benefit the receiver. I’ve learned my strengths (learner, achiever, includer, positivity, and communication) and will be aware of them as I contribute to the community. I have also learned how to go about solving problems better, not to get discouraged by size, uncertainties, or even not being able to find a solution. This course has allowed me to reflect upon myself while reflecting upon society, resulting in gained knowledge and a changed mindset.
Citations:
Block, Peter. Community: the Structure of Belonging. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers,
2008. Print.
Block, Peter. "From Leadership to Citizenship." Trans. ArrayInsights on Leaderships. Larry C. Spears,
John Wiley and Sons Inc. , 1998. Print.
Davis, Adam. "What We Don't Talk About When We Don't Talk About Service." Trans. Array The Civically
Engaged Reader. A. Davis and E. LynnGreat Books Foundation, 2006. Print