The Amish

There are a lot of misconceptions about Amish. Even around here!

First, (for Suzanne) they can eat in restaurants. Both men and women, but the men are the ones you usually see out especially at lunch time. Lots of times I run into construction crews at restaurants for lunch. Lots of Amish girls work in restaurants before they marry.

One thing that I thought was funny was I saw an Amish man with a cell phone. I don't know if it was for his work or what. He'd have to charge it some time and they don't have electricity running to their homes but I think they could rig up a battery to charge it. Or charge it in the vehicle of the driver that takes the work crew he was with to job sites. I think the reason they don't have home phones is the Amish live to be unconnected with the "outside world" and the actual telephone line running pole to pole, home to home links them to the outside world. So the cell phone would be sort of an Amish "loophole". It's wireless, there fore it connects them to nothing.

Lots of people think they don't pay taxes. They do. Of course they pay property tax. Which in Ohio funds our public school system. They don't use that system, but they still pay the tax. I think they pay tax on goods, such as Walmart, just like everyone else. People get hateful around here about Amish not paying tax. I've also heard people complain about the buggies tearing up the roads! This is so dumb to me! It's the semi's and heavy trucks tearing up the road! Not the buggy!

Until Amish children are school age they are only spoken to in German by their parents. They learn English as a second language.

They have an amazing ability to put things in God's hand and to forgive. They are non confrontational. They don't accept homosexuality, it's kind of like our military, don't ask don't tell. They just ignore it basically. We have Amish friends who I'm pretty sure have a gay son and they have only ever said "girls make him nervous".

The kids are free to experiment outside of the Amish lifestyle until they choose to join the church. If they leave and live life outside for a time then decide to go home and join the church they are welcomed.

They tend to have big families. Usually a child for every year of marriage.

I read something that said the marriages are usually not romantic, but I don't really think that's true! I've seen plenty of young couples and they sure look in love! Besides I don't think you could have so many children and not love one another and work well together. The kids are primarily the mothers responsibility but the fathers help out too. Usually at the store or in a buggy it's the daddy who is holding the child. I saw a mom out in her garden with a small child in a little red wagon and 3 other little kids looking on, watching the baby.
The biggest misconception is they don't have indoor plumbing! They do! They have toilets, bathtubs, kitchen sinks that run off of natural gas water heaters. They even have refrigerators and stoves just like ours, again run off of natural gas.
My family was friends with an Amish couple named Mary and Mose Raber and knew lots of their extended family. Mary's home was always neat and tidy. The quilting frame was usually set up in the front room. I have quite a few quilts she either made or did the quiliting on. She had a sister named Susan who never married and lived out her life sharing a home with their brother, who also never married. Susan's home was so clean it seemed like every surface was waxed! Even into her very old age it was that way! I'm sure her nieces helped her later in life but it was unimaginably glossy. That's it glossy! That is how I would describe her little house!
They are a very interesting group. But often misunderstood like any off center religous group.