the amish have landed!?
In the USA the Amish eschew the trappings of modern life.
They reject modern technology and live an agrarian existence believing that this brings them closer to God.
The mens' appearance is marked by simple clothing, broad brimmed hats and beards. They use horse power on their farms and visit markets and church in horse drawn vehicles. They stand at odds with twenty first century values and this contrast was brilliantly drawn in a short sequence in the film 'Witness' by a tiny horse and cart travelling along a highway being dwarfed by a massive lorry.
What has this got to do withe price of fish you wonder?
I had my own little 'Amish' moment in the week, having a sense of how different I might be seen.
At our new home, the front lawn was in need of a cut and infested with broad leaved weeds. So, I got out my old push mower and my 'daisy grubber' which is like a forked screwdriver. Under the dandelion it goes and with a lever action the weed is removed! Beside me on the drive was parked my old and dirty Ford Focus.
As I performed my lawn duties I was aware that during entire time, the man next door but two was playing the hose over his gleaming, new, black BMW.
A more stark difference in life styles could not have been created. He must have looked at me, sweating over the manual mower and kneeling to grub out weeds and thought 'The Amish have landed'. Presumably he had a good laugh in front of his large plasma screen TV that night.
They reject modern technology and live an agrarian existence believing that this brings them closer to God.
The mens' appearance is marked by simple clothing, broad brimmed hats and beards. They use horse power on their farms and visit markets and church in horse drawn vehicles. They stand at odds with twenty first century values and this contrast was brilliantly drawn in a short sequence in the film 'Witness' by a tiny horse and cart travelling along a highway being dwarfed by a massive lorry. What has this got to do withe price of fish you wonder?
I had my own little 'Amish' moment in the week, having a sense of how different I might be seen.
At our new home, the front lawn was in need of a cut and infested with broad leaved weeds. So, I got out my old push mower and my 'daisy grubber' which is like a forked screwdriver. Under the dandelion it goes and with a lever action the weed is removed! Beside me on the drive was parked my old and dirty Ford Focus.
As I performed my lawn duties I was aware that during entire time, the man next door but two was playing the hose over his gleaming, new, black BMW.
A more stark difference in life styles could not have been created. He must have looked at me, sweating over the manual mower and kneeling to grub out weeds and thought 'The Amish have landed'. Presumably he had a good laugh in front of his large plasma screen TV that night.
4 comments:
I live in Canada and had the opportunity of driving through 'Amish country' several years ago in Ontario when I was there on a business trip. It was very interesting seeing the Amish travelling along the highway in their horsedrawn buggy and seeing them in their fields plowing with a horse instead of power driven machinery. The land is very fertile therefore the farms are much smaller in comparison to where I live (Alberta). We went to an Amish resteraunt and I still talk about the meal we had there as it was so good. The pie was the most delicious I've ever had. It was a very facinating visit.
When we were in Ontario we stayed close to the Mennonite area. The Amish are a branch of the Mennonites I believe. The pragmatism of the ontario Mennonites appealed: I remember a video we saw in which a Mennonite farmer explained that if it was too cold they wouldn't get their horse and buggy out but use the car instead! Thanks for comment. Rob
Of course one downside to the Amish way of life is their non- reliance on deodorants...guess your bemused neighbour (and your better half) might have something to say about that!
Now I understand why I live a hermit like existence in which plaiting my beard is my only entertainment. Rob
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