The power went out today. No apparent reason. I called to report an outage and the guy said there was a pole down.
I thought: I could never be Amish. They work so hard, and they do it all in the elements. I was immobilized by the lack of electricity. Immobilized. I just sort of w a n d e r e d around waiting for it to come back on; trying not to get too thirsty, because our well is electric and Stretch said something about not using the water because we would have to prime the pump. Or something like that. I tried not to focus on the heat, which truly, was bearable. The kids never complained once. They just colored. But me? I looked around and saw lots of things I could be doing but I didn't want to get overheated. Because you know how it is. Once you get hot, it takes a long time to get un-hot again. Especially without the help of the modern marvel of electricity.
Weird Al, the great thinker, had some insights into the Amish way. He sang a little parody called Amish Paradise:
As I walk through the valley where I harvest my grain
I take a look at my wife and realize she's very plain
But that's just perfect for an Amish like me
You know, I shun fancy things like electricity
At 4:30 in the morning I'm milkin' cows
Jebediah feeds the chickens and Jacob plows... fool
And I've been milkin' and plowin' so long that
Even Ezekiel thinks that my mind is gone
I'm a man of the land, I'm into discipline
Got a Bible in my hand and a beard on my chin
But if I finish all of my chores and you finish thine
Then tonight we're gonna party like it's 1699
We been spending most our lives
Living in an Amish paradise
I've churned butter once or twice
Living in an Amish paradise
It's hard work and sacrifice
Living in an Amish paradise
We sell quilts at discount price/We don't fight, we all play nice
Living in an Amish paradise....
I could never be Amish.
10 June 2008
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Amen sista!
Interestingly, I met some very nice Amish women this other day. It was terribly buggy out and I actually (almost) envied their hats. No way were bugs getting to bite their heads!
so funny...i, strangely enough, could NEVER be amish either...though I actually was for 4 years of my life. :-) THANK GOODNESS my parents decided to leave when I was 4...but they were both raised Amish and about 1/2 of my extended family is still Amish. They do work very hard and deal with a lot of INCONVENIENCES!!!!
Did you know Weird Al is a Christian?
Weird huh.
Um, Stretch looks a little Amish in your side photo there...
Sometimes I just sit and think how spoiled rotten I am by all the modern conveniences that I have.
And I wouldn't change it. No, ma'am.
You will be happy to know that I know the words to that song by heart..I have fond memories of "cruising" while listening to this song over and over. Weird Al rocks :)
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