The Amish Life For Me
As I was trying to come up with a title for my post this week, that little diddy of “a pirate’s life for me” popped into my head. Where do these things hide? Is there some attic space in my cranium that houses these silly songs? Very scary.
This is kind of an extension of my earlier post regarding needing a vacation. I’m still working my way through issues concerning our foreign exchange student that I won’t go into here. Dealing with these shady foreign exchange agencies and even worse our own government bureaucrats is going to make me go Postal pretty soon. These bureaucrats couldn’t get jobs as Wal-Mart greeters due to lack of motivation and performance. Who hires these people? Oh yeah, another bureaucrat.
I’m on the downward slope of my real estate class, which is actually going pretty well but the evening classes make for a long day. Thankfully, work has been fairly tame but it’s about to get hairy again with some big projects coming due. Then there’s the A/C on the car that went out for the second time in the past month. Chrysler dealership took the hit on that one for once.
So, I’m sitting here in the quiet of my home with both my wife and daughter fast asleep and I’m thinking, “who needs all this stress?” While the Amish lifestyle is not something I think I could do long term after 46 years of being spoiled with all of our “stuff”, I definitely think I could hang with it for about a month.
What are we talking about here: an early to bed, early to rise schedule with no commute; working your trade whether it be craftsman or farmer; tending to maintenance issues around the homestead; greasing up the buggy and feeding the horse. Sounds like my life now minus the horse and buggy.
But wait, no Motorola cowboy (cell phone on hip), Internet, cable TV or drycleaners. Hmmm, should I wear the black pants or the black pants? Honey! Are we out of shaving cream? Oops, never mind; doing the beard thing. Then there’s that hat. By the way, whatever happened to men wearing a hat with their business suit? I think they were pretty cool.
We have a large Amish community about 45 minutes west of us in Hamptonville, NC. They’re New Order Amish so they drive tractors and have electricity in their homes but no TV or other electronic communication with the outside world. They’ve got a great General Store that we visit when in the area and everyone is always very friendly.
The Amish are great people who have chosen not to accept all the gadgetry and kept their lives simple. Right now, I could use a dose of that simplicity and gain a new perspective on life.
on September 20th, 2007 at 9:35 am
I think the pirate song stuck in you head because yesterday was official “talk like a pirate day.” Aside from that, you know the saying, “the grass is always greener.” Back in August I had a low-tech vacation. It was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle that is normally attracted to high-tech gadgets; however, I wasn’t able to completely go no-tech. No matter what I do, work can’t go long without me. That problem is good and bad. It’s good because there is “some” job security and bad because I’m always working to a certain extent — even when on vacation.
I’m sure there is a certain amount of Amish folks waking up a regular basis saying to themselves, “I’ve had enough of this life…I need a change. Perhaps I should become a pirate?”
on September 20th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
The Amish are a great people. I admire their resolve to stay “un-blemished ” from worldly or modern activity. I find myself wishing to be like them often.
I have this fantasy of dropping everything and heading to the hills. I would take along just enough survival rations and ammo to hunt for a year or so while I build a remote life.
on September 20th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
I wonder if they have anything against solar power. It could keep my laptop going! Got to watch YouTube until 1 a.m. every now and then (like last night and I paid for that this morning).
on September 21st, 2007 at 12:15 pm
my husband and I are on a get away from “retired” life schedule for a fall trip to Bar Harbor which we thought would be quiet in Sept. NOT! It’s alot better than summer crowds I’m sure, but even now we search for the quiet peaceful areas. Acadia Park, boat trips out to sea, and now we’ve magically honed in on a coffee/computer-internet shop. YES we miss Starbucks! Seems we want whatever meets our current need. Even Adam and Eve in a PERFECT world weren’t satisfied. However, as we were having coffee and bagel, we talked of family and that’s a good thing whatever the day brings!
on September 21st, 2007 at 12:42 pm
Well, if you don’t mind the drive (about an hour), there are a couple of Starbucks in Bangor.