Hum and Drum

Or... drum and hum? Drum OR hum?

A couple of weeks ago, as part of a series on spiritual practices that our pastoral team was offering, we had a drum circle. I’ve never been to a drum circle, but I was game, and there were drums for everyone who showed up. My boss and coworker started drumming and everyone kind of joined in, and pretty soon there we were, drumming.

My boss spiced things up now and again with chants or songs, or changing up the rhythm. Some of the residents were really into it; they brought their own drums, even, and talked about all the groovy drum circles they’d experienced before. One woman got up to dance a couple of times, and taught us a song about mother earth. I watched another resident tentatively drum for a while and then look to her left and right… and finally she put down her drum and left. Later she told me “I just HATED that!” but the rest of us gamely drummed on for the rest of the hour.