Amish Experience

Before my experience living with The Millers, an Amish family, and shadowing the family on an average day in their lives, I had a very stereotypical and false impression of the family dynamics, values, and overall attitude towards life. I believed that the Amish lived a reserved and dull life that consisted of mostly prayer and uninteresting chores. I had the preconceived idea that the Amish did not want to be involved with “English” people or anyone of a different culture and they, instead, would rather live a life of solitude.  Going into the experience, I was hesitant and worried that the two day trip would be an unenjoyable drag and we would not be accepted into their families. On the way to the homes that we were staying at, I was already feeling the separation anxiety from my cell phone. The realization that cell phones are a huge part of my life was somewhat shocking. I never realized the extent to which technology is involved in our lives. After the two day immersion into Amish life, I have come to the understanding that the Amish are very similar to the “English” in their personalities and way of life, disregarding forbidding electricity. The Amish are very similar to us, in that they go out and have fun with their friends, and there are fashion trends each year. They have social lives but I believe that the English should model the family aspect of the Amish’s lives. There is a different family dynamic because the family works as a unit and is working to better the family as a whole. One thing that came as a shock to me was that the personalities of the children were very similar to the personalities of the children of the English. Amish children play games and are the same as an average child or adolescent in the 21^st century. This was exposed after our dinner when the family pulled out a bag full of clothing and we played a game that was very similar to hot potato. We passed around a pillow when a timer start and as the person who was holding the pillow when the timer ended had to put an article of clothing that was in the bag; the bag was full of crazy clothing. In some ways, the games that the Amish play are more fun and entertaining than the games that the generic English family’s plays I believe that the families in the Amish community are in some ways happier and live a more successful life than English families. I feel that because the Amish life is a voluntary life, the people in that environment enjoy their lives more. I also feel that a connection with nature helps one to feel happy and thankful for the opportunities and privileges that one has been given. The majority of the Amish have farm animals, and the family I was staying with had a cow, two horses, a few chickens and a of couple cats. This connection with nature and the food that they are eating makes them feel privileged and much luckier than, for example, one who buys their food at the supermarket and has no connection to its preparation or its origins. In all, I learned that the Amish are very similar in their personalities to the English, but in their connection to family and their religion, they are very different, and in some ways live a happier life. The Amish can teach us many lessons about the importance of family and moderation within one’s life.