Real Life, Modern Amish

               On the overnight, I found that learning about the real Amish life in first person and disproving common misconceptions about them was the most rewarding experience of the 24 hours we had with them. During the two days, I learned more about the realities of modern Amish people in the fast-paced world that we all live in; specifically, I learned that modern Amish keep up to date with technology as well as the pace of the world. I found this surprising and shocking, regardless of the many limits and restrictions that come with these facts for them.

                In the past, the only knowledge I had of Amish and modern technology was that they didn’t use any of it, or at least they tried not to. These assumptions were based on the fact that many people in the world believe this and say these things. However, I was very quickly proven wrong and I now know that they do in fact keep up with technology. Of course there are restrictions, given their beliefs that gave us these assumptions, but these are only limits, not ignorance or disregard. On the first day, the first place we went to was bakery general store in Middlefield. The store was owned by Amish and many Amish shopped their according to our guide and what we saw in the store. I was surprised at the fact that the store looked like a normal store, being modern, lit, and containing many items that we use: both food and hardware. But mostly, I was surprised that not only did they sell electrical hardware, but they used electricity in the store. As my past assumptions were proven wrong, the guide explained some of the restrictions that Amish set for themselves. For example, with the approval of their community churches, they were able to use propane, natural gas, solar power and battery power to power many things. Things they were allowed to use under these platforms included power tools, appliances, flashlights, general home lighting, clocks, and the safety electronics in their buggies. Furthermore, they were up to date in many technologies such as LED: modern energy efficient lighting, and compressor-powered tools which were powered by gas. She explained all of this to us in factual detail. What I learned was that although for us these are things that are mostly taken for granted or not recognized, it’s important to notice that they’re advancing towards some technologies at the same time as we are. Whether or not it was the intentional goal of their ancestors, to keep up with certain aspects, I found it interesting that they found some use in the modern technologies we have today. What this will mean for the future is also very interesting. For example, Ester Weaver, the lady we stayed with told us that when members of the church decide that they need something for communities benefit, they hold elections to decide its reality. That means that as long as the proposal doesn’t offend too much, they’ll be able to adapt certain technologies when needed.  I don’t know where people learn ignorant facts to Amish life, but after being in their world myself, I was easily able to recognize that these people are well aware of the technologies of “English” society (English being a title they give to regular Americans like us). Further, I conclude that they appropriately adapt certain technologies to keep them up to date while also maintaining tradition.

                Other things I’ve heard in the past about Amish include their neglect and ignorance to modern civilization; Amish isolate themselves or keep themselves apart from regular society. I found during our short time on the trip, that this is also not true. Amish not only keep up with current events in the world, but they also have grown to associate familiarize themselves to modern American culture. We learned on the overnight that they don’t necessarily listen to music, or watch movies, or travel to public places, but they do keep themselves informed of the world and they do enjoy the qualities of modern life that meet their rules and traditions. For example, Ester Weaver also told us about these aspects of their lives; she said that while they receive newspapers daily, talk with friends and family, and their constantly continuing to associate with more “English” people, they also read books, have pets, learn at school, and do some of the same activities as us. Specifically, she said that her boys do the puzzles in the newspapers and read the comics to entertain themselves. She also said that they take care of pet rabbits, horses, and their dog; all of these things that many of us do and have. Also, Dan Weaver, her husband showed their skills with corn hole, a sport that many teenagers and young adults play today. And again, although some of their experience and knowledge is limited, and they restrict some of the qualities of life that we take for granted, they proved to us that they are not alien to us. I felt comfortable staying with them because they actually did relate to us, and entertain us. Overall, I feel comfortable admitting that, given their restrictions, they still find a way to live a similar, modern life to ours.

                In Conclusion, I went on our Amish overnight feeling optimistic, but also set on the fact that I pretty much knew what their lives consisted of. I limited myself to knowledge of their ignorance and neglect of not only modern technology, but also modern society and culture due to the assumptions of others. Despite being there for such a short period of time, I still was able to quickly gather they are not alien to us, and we’re not alien to them. Furthermore, regardless of some of their restrictions, they keep themselves up to date with our lives and technology as much as they can.