The Amish lifestyle
When an Amish teenager turns 16, he or she is released into the open world as we know it. This period is called Rumspringa, which in their language, Pennsylvania Dutch, means running around. They get the once in a lifetime opportunity to be like everyone else, to be free. And they sure do. They experiment with all the stuff, sex, drugs, alcohol and partying. After the period, which typically lasts 6 months to 4 years, the teens are to decide whether to stay Amish, or to leave and live freely, and, to my surprise, 85% of the Amish teens choose to stay Amish, maybe they fear the outside world? But until then, they are in school till 8th grade and after that, the males assist with the family farm and take factory positions and the females work in the shops and learn how to keep house and how to prepare for marriage. The males wear plain clothing which allows them to work, and the females wear plain, long dresses. And a significant difference between the Amish life of a teenager and my life is, that the use of modern technology is forbidden in some Ordnung. So that means they do not have computers, phones or tablets among other things. I use modern technology every day, even to write this essay, and I cannot possibly live without it, at least not the same way. But maybe life without the stressful and instant
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I want to evolve and take part in perfecting humanity and the world, and I do not think we evolve if we live like the old days. Do not get me wrong, I think it is great to stand out and live life like you want to and I do not think they are a threat to the future, as, currently, only a small percentage of the human population is Amish. But we must appreciate difference and remember, we should not adapt to the future, the future adapts to us. And I respect their simple lifestyle, and I think it would make for an insightful vacation, but for life? Not for