Last week, when we went to the auction, Tim said in a shocked voice, "He has a cell phone!" An Amish man paced back and forth at the entrance of the auction house talking on a cell phone.
Now admittedly, there is a great deal that I don't quite understand about the Amish. I know the bishop in our area seems to be very conservative and strict. Houses are white clap board. No hanging plants on the porch. No bicycles.
However, in other areas, the Amish have tin sided houses and they use different colors. Some of them can be quite modern looking, actually.
Up near the building supply store we use, you see that a lot. We always wondered whether it was because so many of their men work at the store. They use phones and computers in the business, electric lights too. They zip around on fork lifts. They have an easy relationship with technology. I guess it makes sense that they use the products they sell to build their homes.
Just down the road from the massive building supply store, another business has gone in, a huge hunting and fishing store. Tim wanted to have a look.
It has a huge selection of permanent hunting blinds out front. An indoor archery range. A huge display of the most amazing taxidermy work I have ever seen. I asked about that right away. We want to have Bob the buffalo freshened up, but we want it done by a professional. Turns out the fellow who does the work lives in our corner of the world.
While I was getting that information from the young Amish man, Tim walked up with a trail camera, one of the ones that sends pictures to your cell phone. Without missing a beat, the fellow said enthusiastically 'That is the one I use. I am happy with it."
Honestly, I do not ask questions about matters that are not my business, but I found that amazing that they would use a trail cam at all, let alone have a cell phone to view the pictures on.
There were several barefoot and happy children playimg quietly inside the store while their fathers worked. It explained the long row of kick scooters in front of the store. Two of them were hot pink.
But as usual, they had an outhouse...a portapotty stood outside.
This is what you call a kitten caboodle. Well...3/5s of one, any way.
Anyone looking for a kitten?
Maybe they're Mennonites. They do use tech where necessary.
ReplyDeleteMennonite can own cars. These folk use buggies.
DeleteWe don't have Amish here, but we do have Hutterites. Hutterites live in large colonies and there is no private ownership. The first time I saw a Hutterite with a cell phone it was quite shocking but they don't have any problems with technology and use it on their large farms. I guess some Amish use technology too. Who knew?
ReplyDeleteAnd kittens? You seem to be a cat whisperer, or at least a cat magnet:)
Some Amish groups are much more modern than others. I don't quite understand it. I suppose our ways are just as incomprehensible.
DeleteVery confusing. All those different rules. I wonder why some of them were imposed in one area and not in another?
ReplyDeleteDifferent bishops is all I know.
DeleteA species that cannot adapt generally cannot survive. Maybe religions are like that too.
ReplyDeletePerhaps that is all there is too it.
ReplyDeleteWe used to have strong Plymouth Brethren sect near us - they all lived in church owned houses, kids ate separately at school and would not use mobile phones - then they started using specific phones that only they could use to contact each other. They used to share all their money and then buy groceries with vouchers that were given out. There were official concerns raised about that particular church and they lost their charitable status I think ( or they nearly did save for strict conditions). All very odd, but then... life's funny like that!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteUgh! Okay. Let me try this again. You have led me down an interesting rabbit hole. Reading about 'Open' Brethren and 'Exclusive' Brethren, I realized that there are different degrees of strictness. The Swartzentruber aren't often heard about. Very Old Order and so strict that they don't even associate with other Amish. I also read about Amish who have inside bathrooms. I mean, I knew about different bishops, but I never put it together. There are different orders within the Amish just as Christiznity has different faiths. Thanks for the redirect!
DeleteI was wondering if your Amish friends would come over to/come in to your new house?
ReplyDeleteBonnie in Minneapolis
We have invited them. They need to get haying done.
DeleteI wish I could take one of those kittens, but even if Pat (the inside dog) would allow it, I'd feel obligated to "shop" the local caboodles. There's always a need when it comes to puppies and kittens. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteOh. I know. This is mostly tongue in cheek.
DeleteWhere my sister lives in Indiana there's a group of Old World Brethren. They dress much like Amish and use buggies, but also use tech for work. One family owns a drive up coffeeand sandwich shop, it is fully modern. Always seems so odd to see cars pulling through, with their horse and buggy beside the shop. Those kittens are adorable, as all are. Can't take any tho, my old lady cat would object.
ReplyDeleteWhat an eye opener this post has turned into.
DeleteOur world has slowly been seeping into theirs, I guess. They can still pick and choose what to allow so they can keep one foot in each world? Surprising, but doesn't seem like such a bad thing to me--or to most of us who live on this side--lol! ;)
ReplyDeleteI do love my dishwasher...
DeleteI suppose it is like everyone really. People follow their culture, religion and traditions in the way they want to, and hopefully not forced to.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good way to see it, Andrew.
DeleteMy dad grew up in a little town called Loogootee, about 100 miles south of Indianapolis, large Amish community there. I stopped off there to visit a favorite Aunt on my way back from a business trip to Montreal early 2000s. Flew to Indianapolis and drove down. Was surprised to see such a mix in the Amish houses, some with buggies in the garage and electric lines to the house, some with cars in the garage and no electric to the house. Guess they were picking & choosing what worked for them & what they could justify to themselves.
ReplyDeleteDenominations can vary widely.
ReplyDeleteWe recently spent a few days in Holmes County Ohio which is supposed to be the second largest Amish settlement in the country or something. We barely saw a buggy. We did see both Amish and Mennonite on electric bicycles on every road which was a little jarring.
ReplyDeleteThe Mennonites and Amish up by us all still use buggies. I do remember when there were pay phones on random country crossroads as they couldn't have phones on the farms. But those have been gone for a few decades. Times change I guess.