As my title says, nonconformity, I give this notion to the Amish. When taking Linguistic 100 last semester, we had a guest speaker come into class. He actually spoke a little about the Amish and talked about a few points. The separation of Mennonites and Amish began around the 16th Century with a religious movement in Switzerland. Then this lead to Adult baptisms, Pacifists, and nonconformity to the world. This is how the Amish branched out and are now located in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio...ect.
I brought up just a little of what the guest speaker said because it touches upon how Amish are somewhat separated from the world. They have their own communities but are lead a certain way; Amish have a very structured lifestyle.
Just for a general interest: Would you be able to live like the Amish for a day?
What do you think you would have the most trouble with? This can be in regards to both reading and writing and home life.
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I would love to live like Amish for a day to immerse myself in their culture and to see just how tough it really is. My hometown is laden with the Amish culture. There is an Amish farm near my house that I used to go to a lot to buy produce and baked goods. (They can bake really well!) So, being around them a lot growing up, I was always intrigued by their way of life. I would go to their produce stand as to “spy” on what they were doing. I even remember passing by their houses on my bike as a kid and laughing at all their underwear hanging out on the clothes line. When I got a little older, I would try to talk to them occasionally to gain a better understanding of who they were, but they were very closed off and private. If they would utter a syllable back to me, they would have a very interesting accent, just another mark of their differences. That being said, the hardest part for me if I went to live with them for a while would be having them accept me as an outsider. I am genuinely interested in their life and would love to learn more about it.
I think anyone could live in the Amish community, for a day or even more, with little to no problems. The most difficult part, obviously, would be letting go of the luxuries that we have become accustomed to. Instead of watching tv or using facebook, our time would be consumed with Bible study and manual labor. Getting past that would be the hardest part, I feel. In the classroom, it would also be difficult to adjust. One of the things that the American education system stresses is the importance of critical reading and writing. Since these concepts don't really exist within Amish literature, it would be hard not to express our own opinions in an Amish classroom. To an outsider, this would be frustrating and demoralizing, always conforming to the Amish consensus. However, I believe anyone who is raised in the Amish community from birth would have little difficulty accepting these things. Sure, some Amish teenagers choose to leave the community, but as we saw, they experience a great disconnect and often miss the life they left. I don't know if we discussed this, but it would be interesting to see how ex-Amish students perform when they are immersed into our school system.
I think I would have to agree with Kelsi and David in-regards to their opinions. I think that culturally, whether you were living for a day, or living as a way of life, that you'd be able to adapt to the Amish lifestyle. Being at the age that I am at now, I'd be able to understand fully and more in-depth why they decide to live a life of isolation. I do not think that I would personally want that life. Seeing the Amish lifestyle from the outside has showed me what they may, in my opinion, would be missing out on. I feel that I am prepared, through what I associate as a normal lifestyle, to a sense of higher education and learning. I do not feel the Amish are prepared for that, obviously. They are happy with a traditional culture that is mixed with standard education and physical labor. Meanwhile, if that is all that I grew up knowing, I'd be yearning for a different life. Looks like an obvious catch-22. Looking at both lifestyles, I'd still pick the one I have lived, knowing I am doing my part to change the world. Is it wrong to think that?
Well to start off Kelsi, I have to agree with the baking. I buy baked goods from them too! It's almost a craft to them...which they are quite good at! It's also really good that you get a little more of a look at the Amish and I would even say engage with them to some extent!
David, I think you brought up a great point. We didn't really touch upon ex-Amish in public schools. I think it would be valuable to see how they measure up compared to others. I can imagine it was hard for them to adapt at first!
I agree with Justin as well to the extent of now understanding Amish a bit better. They are more than just people but a community that works together; they have their own beliefs. I also don't think it's wrong with living the live you are right now. In all, we take what we are given and now we have a little sense of something different in the world--Relating to the Amish.
I think that I could definitely live like the Amish for a day. However, a couple weeks to a couple months would be extremely difficult for me. The Amish definitely have a structured lifestyle, and so do I between classes, school work, and practice. But I think that these are VERY different kinds of structured life. I think the part I would have the most difficulty with is the extreme influence that religion has on their lives. I'm just not a religious person, and I think that it would be difficult for me to adjust to that aspect of the culture. Not being able to use my cell phone or computer would definitely be a struggle too though.
I would happily live with the Amish. Growing up in true rural Pennsylvania I brew my own wine, beer, and brandies. I slaughter close to 600 pounds of pig and/or bovine per year. I hunt, fish, and garden.
Fishman was right in the observation that the Amish take care of themselves and won't change.
Every year I purchase Stolons and rhizomes from the Amish because of their superior knowledge and skills in botany.
The construction company "Ridgeview Builders" is a local Amish family that builds homes sturdier and faster than their technologically advanced counterparts. Immanuel and his family get paid a premium for their work, not because they're faster or better, but because the level of articulation in planing and the craftsmanship are bar none!
Every year I ask an Amish man to sell me a daughter culture from his Kombucha mother culture, and every year the Amish man smiles at my eagerness and says he can't. I smile back and for some reason I'm O.K. with it.
I think living in the Amish community for one day would not be a substantial amount of time for me to actually determine if I wanted to spend the rest of my life there, and I do believe this helps to explain why many of the Amish frequently decide to return to their communities after rumspringa. And also helps to explain why, like in the documentary we saw in class, that many Ex-Amish come and go from their communities as well.
With that being said, however, I absolutely admire the structure that governs their society in culture and religion. I have relatives that own a bed and breakfast in upstate New York, and their next door neighbors are Amish. When I went to visit, I had the opportunity to see their house and it was truly an eye-opening experience. Just standing in the living room, it was amazing to look around and see absolutely no electronic appliances or traces of 21st century civilization. I think this is something that would greatly benefit us (those who live outside the Amish community) to take a step away and experience. I know, when I speak for myself, that it would force me to reevaluate my morals and expectations of life in general.
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