Travel Rogue

September 12, 2005

Amish Perfection

This was probably one of the best, most eye-opening trips I've taken in a long time. I was operating under the presumption that Amish Country, like almost every other publicized tourist destination, would show signs of blatant commercialization. Boy, was I wrong. Not more than 10 minutes off the expressway, and I'm sharing a dirt road with a horse and buggy. We looked at each other curiously, as though one of us fell through the wrong wormhole. It was surreal. The carriage is a stark black box with a red reflective triangle tacked on back. The horse is stunning. Sleek and muscular, a true working horse beauty that makes thoroughbreds look anorexic. And like their driver, the horse appears proud of its station in life, unlike the tarted up horses you see in Chicago hauling tourists on pseudo-romantic jaunts.

The Amish faith dictates purity and simplicity. No electricity, no cars, no telephones. Clothing is unadorned, and any display of wealth is abhorred. I saw an Amish farmer tending his field with a horse-drawn tiller. It was mesmerizing. As a culture, Americans are so focused on completion rather than on the journey. While I watched the farmer, a voice in the back of my head kept saying, "Go, go, go." I was silently willing the farmer and his team to get to the end of the row. Then it dawned on me. The goal is not to complete the row, but to till the soil. It wasn't until then that I realized I am predisposed to desire the wrong end. We shouldn't be striving for success. We should focus on performing every act to the best of our ability. Wealth and success should be seen as corresponding outcomes, not goals.

Which puts the Amish in an interesting, and somewhat unresolved conundrum. Their work ethic is so strong, yet they reject materialism. Consider their low cost lifestyle. No electricity, no gas, how much does it cost the farmer to till his farm? Perhaps time, and the cost of feed. As such, the margin on his yield is enormous. Wealth is an unavoidable byproduct of Amish farming and conflicts with their belief system. Their own beliefs challenge their own identity.

An old Amish tale tells the story of a man who goes to church and comments to his wife, "We are the most modestly dressed family here." That show of pride counters the intent of modest dress.

It is also interesting to note that Amish do pay local, state and federal taxes. However, when it comes time for them to take advantages of social benefits, such as unemployment or social security, they often opt to not to, believing that it is the community's responsibility to care for its own.

All said, I was grounded by the faith of another. Needed it.

Posted by carolyn at September 12, 2005 09:43 AM

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