I was hiring a gardener when I met this fellow wearing old grandpa pants with white shirt. He had a funny accent and it felt like he is new to this world. So I asked him and he told he is from Pennsylvania and is amish, first it was hard to believe to find a guy who doesn't watch movies or TV itself but he felt ok to me. So what you guys know about amish people? Are they so god fearing as he showed me?

i have no idea about them and sounds very different and interesting from what you tell.
i will be reading the comments curiously.

Was his name Lebanon Levi? If so, watch out, he's the leader of the Amish Mafia....

There is good and bad in everything and everywhere

the ones who became famous for cutting off the Beard of other Amish?

I think thats a different guy...he was on the same show though

Duh .. I just closed a page on the Amish ...
Was reading up on the Mennonites and the Amish. Talk about synchronicity, haha.
... Just read that genetically it's more than a tad unhealthy cos there's no fresh blood being added to the pool, yet they double their numbers every 20 years!!!
I do like the idea of the rumspringa as I don't think it's right for parents to decide what's right for their children (baptism at birth). On the other hand side... by the time they have their rumspringa, they've been totally shaped by Amish ways and their parents, so does it make a difference?
And they get to taste normal American life, but can they truly get a feel of that? They're totally oblivious of the normal world, world history, technology etc. Like putting a Neanderthal into New York. Of course he'd wanna go back to his cave!

I think it's good that a number of Amish are becoming more modern, use technology etc.
Standing still is never good. Life is about evolving and growing, learning, developing. What used to be good and healthy, isn't necessarily healthy anymore. Desperately trying to hang on to the obsolete is foolish.
It's like trying to recreate Jurassic park. What Jeff Goldblum said: Dinosaurs had their shot at evolution and were chosen for extinction.
Similar thing.
But that's the problem with religions: they try to hold on to the past, don't evolve, don't adapt, live by rules that someone wrote down thousands of years ago. Then adapted again by ppl who think they know even better

Maybe they're happy, after all they choose to live that way, but the genetic thing alone is reason for alarm as far as I'm concerned. If they'd stop reproducing, good!
The one good thing is, they do know how to survive and be self-sufficient. If the chit hits the fan, it might be rather handy to have them around

we have quite a few of those folks up here actually..

kind of fun to spot their farm houses when out for a drive

no telephone or power lines going to house
no car or pick up in the driveway


usually huge white house, big barn, big garden plots

we have them riding around in their horse and wagons
see them at the store sometimes or at an auction



very polite and nice in my experience

I agree...The ones I have been in contact with are very nice and respectful...There are quite of few of them here in southern Minnesota.

I have read about them and would love to meet one.

I don't think I could live without modern stuff like dishwasher.

Their gardens I would love to learn about.

The quilts they do. I will have to buy one. The love the put into it. Reminds me of Rains.

Life in long dresses would be hard to live in.

I wonder if I could wear jeans or shorts underneath. Lol.

No car
Mmmmm I don't mind horse riding.

No cell phone sorry that would be far to much
Arhhhh no mingle!
Now thats where I draw the line

Yes, I draw the line at 'no internet' as well!
The dishwasher is doable ... I've lived without one for over 3 yrs now ... You get used to it. And doing the dishes ain't too bad, a good excuse to sing and dance :)
Dresses, not gonna work!
No cell phone, I could do that too.
Just as long as I got me internet. And a drum kit

What do they do when they have physical problems though? Are they allowed to have a walker? I spose a scoot mobile is out of the question...
But like me, I got back problems, and a neck injury. What would my life be like in such a community?
Would they simply shoot me?

They build some great looking furnitire....

If you like that sort of thing ...
The first does have a warm, cosy feel and look, but the second is horrible

Just curious if its all handmade...with no power tools...if so, its great no matter how it looks

That's nice..hardworking, polite and decent people is what I want too for my garden. But no technology means I am curious how will he maintain the garden, will he bring his own homemade tools. Guess I have to find out when he come on Saturday.

No this guy is young and very naive. He walked all the way to my house

Are you amish?

What???? How??? intimacy without touch thank god that I am not amish. I can't keep my hands away from her

Well this is informative, so lots of weird rumprings. He didn't sound weird or out of order so let me see what he does..

I guess they are rich people and god fearing so they must be safe. But no TV or laptop, how do they live...I can't live without network even for one day