In a little community not so far away, lived an Amish family who was trying to eek out a living with only the most basic of necessities and their traditions...
When I was a student at Brainerd Community College I did a report on the Amish culture. It was an interesting research project and I feel like I learned alot that stuck with me. However, when I think about those who are Amish I think of people you live"far away". And yet, there is a very active community here in central Minnesota.
Previously, my exereinces with first hand expereince were limited as one would expect. I'd once seen a horse and buggytied to a tree next to the new Staples hospital and once I saw a buggy ironically at the Staples car shop. This was previous to my carrying around a camera and I kick myself still because I would have loved to have had a photo of both of those sightings just for the dichotomy and juxtoposition of the two cultures.
I was driving to a conference in Alexandria today and first noticed a yellow road sign that cautioned me to watch for a horse and buggy. It wasn't long after the sign that I did indeed see a couple of carriages parked along side the road with a make-shift Amish market of handmade goods. How interesting that the Amish who I seemed to remember liked the sense of seculusion would self select to park alongside a highway in order to sell their crafts to us non-Amish. Seemed like commercialism has more influence than I realized.
I was still thinking about this influence when a slight movement ahead of me caught my eye. I figure was walking along side the road, a road that had no shoulder. So I slowed down not sure what would cause someone to walk along side the road. As I approached the figure I realized that it was a young Amish girl. For a split second our eyes made contact as she turned a corner unto an unpaved driveway. Two females from different worlds yet the same. What was going through her mind as she saw me driving my Jeep. How much of my culture did she know about. I thought I knew some of hers, but what did I really know? I'm sure we both had tons of stereotypes of each other and what an interesting conversation it would be if we got together.
I watched her in my rear view mirror as I continued my drive down the highway. In the background I saw a large farm yard with a tall house. I assumed it was her home. It may or may not have been. And I thought about that research paper that I wrote oh so many years ago about a culture that turned out to be right around the corner so to speak not that far away.
R: 3.6 miles 32 min 45 sec
When I was a student at Brainerd Community College I did a report on the Amish culture. It was an interesting research project and I feel like I learned alot that stuck with me. However, when I think about those who are Amish I think of people you live"far away". And yet, there is a very active community here in central Minnesota.
Previously, my exereinces with first hand expereince were limited as one would expect. I'd once seen a horse and buggytied to a tree next to the new Staples hospital and once I saw a buggy ironically at the Staples car shop. This was previous to my carrying around a camera and I kick myself still because I would have loved to have had a photo of both of those sightings just for the dichotomy and juxtoposition of the two cultures.
I was driving to a conference in Alexandria today and first noticed a yellow road sign that cautioned me to watch for a horse and buggy. It wasn't long after the sign that I did indeed see a couple of carriages parked along side the road with a make-shift Amish market of handmade goods. How interesting that the Amish who I seemed to remember liked the sense of seculusion would self select to park alongside a highway in order to sell their crafts to us non-Amish. Seemed like commercialism has more influence than I realized.
I was still thinking about this influence when a slight movement ahead of me caught my eye. I figure was walking along side the road, a road that had no shoulder. So I slowed down not sure what would cause someone to walk along side the road. As I approached the figure I realized that it was a young Amish girl. For a split second our eyes made contact as she turned a corner unto an unpaved driveway. Two females from different worlds yet the same. What was going through her mind as she saw me driving my Jeep. How much of my culture did she know about. I thought I knew some of hers, but what did I really know? I'm sure we both had tons of stereotypes of each other and what an interesting conversation it would be if we got together.
I watched her in my rear view mirror as I continued my drive down the highway. In the background I saw a large farm yard with a tall house. I assumed it was her home. It may or may not have been. And I thought about that research paper that I wrote oh so many years ago about a culture that turned out to be right around the corner so to speak not that far away.
R: 3.6 miles 32 min 45 sec
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