海角大神

When what we have is enough: Lessons from the Amish

I prize my trips into Amish country, where the pace of life slows and the lack of 鈥渟tuff鈥� has real allure.

In recent years, Maine, my聽home state, has seen an influx聽of Amish folk from other states.聽It is not uncommon to see their聽horse-drawn buggies, their homemade聽foods, and other handmade聽products, such as furniture and聽storage sheds. It鈥檚 also not uncommon聽to see the Amish themselves, in their distinctive plain clothing,聽at work on their homesteads or in聽their cottage industries. I have also聽encountered them when I ride the聽intercity bus.

I have long had a fascination聽with these unique people. America聽tends to swallow other cultures聽whole, endowing them with a good聽dose of homogenization 鈥� a Syrian聽refugee teen is just as likely as an聽American teen to be bent over his聽smartphone, impatient with his聽parents, and oblivious to the world聽at large.

But the Amish have accomplished聽the seemingly impossible:聽They maintain a strict adherence聽to their 19th-century customs,聽rules, and folkways, which largely聽eschew the modern world, and聽certainly its modern conveniences.聽In other words, yes, it is possible to聽live without a TV.

Every so often I drive out to聽Amish country. I go not only to聽savor the peace and quiet, but also聽to enjoy the understated character
of the Amish folk themselves. One聽of the lessons I鈥檝e learned from my聽interactions is that the Amish do聽not readily volunteer information聽and certainly do not celebrate their聽accomplishments.

Case in point:聽An Amish woman once sold me an apple pie without extolling聽its virtues (鈥淵ou鈥檒l love it. It鈥檚 delicious!鈥� a non-Amish hawker聽might have said). But when, on a subsequent visit, I told her
how much I had enjoyed the pie, she simply nodded, as if it聽would have been vain to take credit for such a simple, satisfying聽act as baking a pie.

So, is there something that attracts me to this community聽beyond its pies? I know I don鈥檛 want to become a farmer, I聽don鈥檛 want to give up my car, and I am fond of my wardrobe.聽But there is indeed something that speaks to me: Their life is聽uncluttered.聽

Let me explain.聽On one of my trips, I took a friend with me.聽We looked on as some Amish men used air-powered (i.e., nonelectric)聽tools to fabricate metal roofing, one of their enterprises.聽My friend finally commented, 鈥淚 fail to see how not having聽electricity makes you a better person.鈥�

I think she missed the point. No electricity means no television,聽no radio, no computer, no humming appliances, and no聽blaring music in the background. This is what I mean when I聽say that their life is uncluttered. There are far, far fewer distractions聽because there is simply less atmospheric noise. This also聽yields an immense social benefit: Instead of interacting with聽electronics, they are more physically present with one another.

I observed this on a recent bus trip to Boston. The English (the聽name by which Amish people refer to the non-Amish) were universally
lost in their smartphones and devices, while the Amish聽were chatting with each聽other, admiring the view, or聽taking turns passing a baby聽girl around and doting on聽her.

Nowhere is this human,聽communal interaction more聽apparent than with Amish聽children. From an early age聽they are integrated into the
work of the home and farm.聽But they also have ample聽time to play. What struck聽me most was that they聽played outside, running and
laughing. They also struck聽me as undemanding because,聽well, what was there聽to demand, or be jealous of?聽There would never be an
iPhone or an Xbox occupying聽the center of their聽lives. Their families and the聽larger Amish community聽seemed to be enough, and聽the relative lack of 鈥渟tuff鈥澛爄s what they all had in聽common.

During one of my visits,聽I crossed paths with an聽Amish girl of 11 or 12 years聽old, who was carrying some聽kitchen goods up to a farmhouse.聽鈥淒oes your family聽sell eggs?鈥� I inquired. She聽nodded and asked me to聽follow her. Along the way聽I directed most of the conversation,聽but she smiled聽and giggled when I offered聽to help carry her armful of goods. 鈥淥h, no,鈥� she protested.聽鈥淭his is what I do.鈥�

When I got to the house, six little Amish聽faces appeared in the doorway. When I asked about the eggs,聽they sprang into action and I soon had a clean dozen in my聽hands. It had taken seven children and a hike up a long dirt聽path to secure the eggs, but their smiles and the time spent in their company made it worth the effort.

I will not be seeking admission to the Amish community,聽but I still prize the lessons learned from my visits, the prime聽one being: What we have is sufficient. It is enough. And聽whenever I return from Amish country, my poor son looks聽on in wonder as I make my way through the house, culling聽and discarding, with the abandon of an Amish child exulting聽under the summer sun, in a field of green.