PHOTO: Jenn Holt
My daughter and I were driving in NE Ohio on our way to share Thanksgiving dinner with another daughter and her boyfriend. Fields stretched out on either side of the back country roads, and black buggies carrying Amish families blanketed for warmth rolled by. Coats shining in the sun, the dark horses looked like exquisite sculptures come to life, their manes blowing along their necks. Suddenly, my daughter laughed out loud.
“Did you see that?” She asked. I hadn’t. “There was a sign that said ‘Are you ready for winter? Is your horse?”
I chuckled.
“It’s a different life, that’s for sure,” she said.
We tried to imagine what living an Amish life would be like, and wondered about their eschewing of electricity from the public grid but not electricity generated in other ways. A little research once I was home helped me understand a bit. A site called Amish America, stated that they see reliance on the public grid as connecting them too close to the world and influences that would undermine their Christian beliefs. An outlet means all kinds of things could be plugged in: computers, television, radio, and too many labor saving devices.
While my old apartment does not have a dishwasher and I wish it did, I do remember growing up without one. Lots of stories and conversations happened while an ever-changing group of family members cleaned up after dinner. Conversations can happen in the living room while the dishwasher hums in the kitchen. I hope my next home comes equipped with one, but I can appreciate the social aspects of doing without.
I appreciated arriving at my daughters in a matter of hours, not having to endure long buggy rides to visit family and friends. The Amish life is not for me. Still, the human family can learn from one another, and I left Amish country wondering how my spirit might benefit from a bit less screen time and a bit more quiet time.
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