In my line of work we happen to travel to Southern Michigan a great deal. Usually these trips were met with great boredom and most often times sleep... I mean you can only handle watching corn pass you by for so long before sleep is your only escape from going insane. And despite the fact that I think Southern Michigan/Northern Ohio is some of the most beautiful country side driving it is honestly quite boring after awhile... Hudson looks like Pittsford, which looks like Waldron, which looks like Morenci, which looks like West Unity, Ohio... But once you get off the beaten paths of US-127, M-99, M-49 and other major roadways you start to discover something that has captured my fascination in a way I didn't think was possible..
The Amish.. Yes, you read that right but I'll give you a second to re-read it................. The Amish are such a fascinating people. The first time I saw an Amish person was as we were driving down some random road outside Hillsdale and a family was driving down the road in their buggy. I just wanted to slow down and follow them like some creepy Amish Stalker but we just passed them and they waved so I waved back.
And that's what they do. No matter if you're passing them on the road, or passing their home and they're outside or walking down the road they stop and wave to you as you go by. I've run into them as party stores as well and they're very friendly and will chat with you as long as you stay to talk.
The more I would see the Amish in Southern Michigan the more I grew interested in their lifestyle and way of life. The reason this is forefront in my mind at the moment is because of a very sad incident that took place in Camden, Michigan which has a very large Amish community. A family consisting of a man, his wife, their 18 month old daughter and 10 month old son were on their way to their grandparents when a van rear ended their buggy, spooked the horse and the horse flipped the buggy into a ditch. In the process the 10 month old baby boy was killed.. There is a lot of outrage about the lady speeding and hitting the buggy and honestly more surprising is the outrage of people saying the Amish shouldn't be allowed on the roadways in the first place. And that they should have to adhere to seat belt regulations and just so much nonsense. I took offense to the people who were just openly bashing the Amish for "going too slow" on the roadways and holding up traffic.. It's their way of life, it's what they believe. And if you want to get technical about it... They were here first... Their lifestyle existed far before our cars did. We should be adapting to them and watching out for them not vice versa. But people today have this over inflated sense of self worth and entitlement that says "me first, whatever I want." I have witnessed people honking at the Amish as they pass their buggies (which honestly is a very stupid thing to do) like the Amish are just out to see how much traffic they can hold up. I feel bad for them. Here they are trying to get a long in a world like ours and people do nothing but make it more difficult...
Well here's a secret... The Amish are on to something. Ok, so it's not really a secret as it is a realization I have made in thinking about their lifestyle and researching it here on my computer which using a computer to research the Amish just seems weird. But there are so many misconceptions and myths about the Amish that people don't understand. Here are some things I found interesting about them... Maybe some things you never knew..
Common misconceptions about the Amish:
- Amish don’t pay taxes - They do in fact. They don't pay into Social Security because they object to it and take care of their own elderly.
- Amish food is all organic - The Amish regularly use chemicals and fertilizers on their crops.
- Amish think technology is evil - Amish do not consider technology “evil”. Rather, they harbor concern over what unrestrained acceptance of all technology may lead to. Amish do in fact use a wide variety of technologies, including batteries, solar panels, and cell phones in some cases.
- Amish rely on barter - Outsiders may imagine that Amish barter goods and shun use of all worldly instruments, but Amish do in fact use money, in the form of cash and other instruments of payment, typically check, and in some cases credit cards.
- Amish speak in ‘thee’s and ‘thou’s - While Amish may have a particular accent or unusual way of speaking, Amish speak an English in many ways typical of rural North Americans.
The Amish drive buggies as part of their beliefs to slow the speed of life-the carriage acts as a brake on the pace of life. As a way of maintaining distance from the world-choosing the horse-and-buggy means consciously choosing transportation not “of” the world. And one reason I find particularly interesting: preserving family and community-easy auto travel can fragment modern families.
Some other quick facts about the Amish:
- Some Amish women do wear light makeup.
- Batteries, power calculators, alarm clocks, cash registers, drills, electric fences, and even basic word processors are used in some Amish businesses.
- Amish are big users of LED lighting and use car batteries to power lights on their buggies.
- The Amish shop in grocery stores and Walmart like you and I.
- The Amish have regular bank accounts at banks and use money just like the rest of us and some even have credit cards.
- The Amish are not opposed to photography as many think. They rarely will let you take a "posed" picture of them but will gladly let you take a picture of them working. They don't like their full faces to be photographed as that could be mistaken as a sign of vanity or pride. However, they will let their children be photographed freely as they have not yet been baptized into the community and are innocent.
- The Amish do not dance and you will rarely find a musical instrument in their homes. However, Amish youth may engage in a variety of forms of dancing, however. Some Amish youth listen to rock, country, and other types of music.
- The Amish are big joke tellers and enjoy a good sense of humor like anyone else.
- The Amish are big into sports. Baseball, Softball, Basketball are big in Amish communities and are played at Amish schools. Hockey is even played in Lancaster Pennsylvania. They also are big into Volleyball, croquet and shuffleboard.
- Some Amish own washing machines that run off of batteries.
- The Amish can and will ride in cars they just won't own them.
Sorry, that was more than just a few facts. But as you can see, the Amish really aren't all that different from us. Despite the fact they live without electricity, they replace that with having everything battery powered. We're not that different.
But here's the catch... The Amish have it right...
And here's what I mean... We have went through a series in my small group called "Not A Fan". A series about what it's like to be a follower of Jesus and not just a fan of Jesus.. And while many of us call ourselves followers a long hard look in the mirror will most likely reveal otherwise. I am no different. If I told you that I was a true follower of Jesus and that I had it right, I'd be lying to your face and to myself.
I fall FAR short of being a true follower. I will never stop and never give up trying to be one and working to get myself there. But the Amish, they have it right.. We live day to day with distractions that keep us from becoming those true followers.. Our cellphones, TV's, radios, computers, the internet, cars, it all one way or another at one point has kept you from Him. And I'm guilty too... But the Amish have cut out that middle man. While they may use some of our worlds tools and things. They've cut out what they deem to be severe distractions that would keep them from honoring the Lord and make them prideful. They're lives are predicated on focusing on the Lord and doing good works for Him and living for Him no matter the price, no matter the cost.. They have given up the things we consider essentials in life without thinking twice and pledged themselves to a life of simplistic living to better serve Him and to live for Him. We all have chuckled at the Amish before for the way they live and the way they dress. But man, they're doing it the right way.. We should all honestly take notes from them and see how all this "modern technology" is making us fall short of God's glory. I am so guilty of this. I have spent hours and hours just wasting my time when I could be meditating or doing a devotional or something. But because I have let these worldly distractions into my life I almost feel like a prisoner to them. And I honestly don't know if I can ever truly break free or if I'm strong enough to. And that to me is kinda sad. I don't know. I'm not "coming down" on anyone honestly. Just making an observation as to why I think the Amish lifestyle is one that I think is the way things were meant to be. I mean society today will never tell you it is. Everyone has to be thin and good looking and visually appealing. You have to have the latest and greatest in technology or you're considered road kill on the information super highway. There is SO much pressure to conform to today's society that its honestly sickening and sad.
Do I think I could ever convert to be Amish? Honestly, it would be a great struggle but I think I could do it. It wouldn't be easy and it would take A LOT of work. I dunno, then again, I may not be strong enough. I'm not by any means a "latest and greatest" guy technology wise but I fear even I may be too far gone to ever give up the technologies I do have...
I see the Amish as I drive through the country and I'm honestly a little jealous... They're life isn't easy. It's a ton of hard work. But they are so free.. Free from the burdens of today's society... Free from technology... They have such a strong sense of community, a strong sense of family value. Their life is dedicated to living for Him. Which is a goal we all should try to achieve. Only I think they're the ones doing it right.. I will never stop trying to become a true follower of Christ. I just get conflicted when I fall short and wonder if I'll ever truly get it right....
So, I hope you've learned something about the Amish today :) They're a good people. I honestly want to study them and observe their lifestyle and community some day..
And fine... For those of you who are still with me after all this rambling about the Amish.. Here is a little gift from me to you...
Until next time...
Be Well,
Rob
