The Amish Aren't So Different

The first thing I took note of when walking into the Miller's home was how brightly lit it was compared to what I thought was going to be a house lit by candles. Before this immersion when I thought of an Amish home I thought it would be filled with candles, lanterns, and nothing from this century but instead it was lit by bright lights that are powered by gas instead of electricity. I pictured an Amish family to be very strict and not too friendly, but I quickly learned that this was not the case. They were some of the sweetest people I have met and they have a great family dynamic. While the men are doing their chores outside, the girls are cooking the meals and setting the table and everybody has their job to do. Once we were settled we helped set the table, and they brought out a delicious meal that I did not expect. Before the trip we heard that the food may not be too good, but I had to hold myself back from not eating everything in site.

After dinner, we played games with the girls in the family and had a great time, especially when Ms. Yudovina put on these crazy orange tie-dyed shorts with a pee stain on them. Although I don’t have fun doing the laundry at home, I enjoyed doing it with everyone else, except when we walked outside with wet hands. Visiting the animals was one of my favorite things, especially holding the little kitty. Kitty and I had a great time together, and I even got to pet Rosie the cow!

The Amish are more similar to our lifestyle than I had originally thought, and enjoy similar activities. Hearing from the boys, the boys that they stayed with loved (and were very good at) corn hole, and I saw in their house that they have board games that I love to play. The Amish have items in their house that were made very recently such as games for the kids and flashlights. I I like to pretend that I am artistic and good at crafts (when really I am not), but Liz Weaver helped us make a holiday card and a birthday card and I did feel artistic. Although we had her help us do some of the more difficult tasks, we ended up with two amazing cards thanks to Liz. I came to realize that I have more in common with the Amish who I originally thought lived such a different lifestyle. By the end of the trip, I came out with a completely new understanding of our two cultures and that we are not as different as I imagined.