October 14, 2004

The Amish people in America live a simple and unusual life. Uzma Rizvi writes about this community

I felt I had entered the sets of one of my favourite childhood TV shows, Little House on the Prairie, which was about pioneer life in America in the 19th century. But in reality we were visiting an Amish colony in the 21st century which definitely was not a TV show. This was for real.

Some time back we spent a few days in a small Illinois town called Arcola, where there is an Old Order Amish settlement. Old Order Amish, named after their leader Jakob Ammann, are the descendants of the Swiss Anabaptists. They moved from Switzerland to Pennsylvania in the 1720s. Settled today mainly in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and some other states, they have maintained their lifestyle of the past centuries.

We stayed in a motel owned by some Indian Gujratis and then drove down to the settlement, which was a little further down. As we approached the settlement we could see the typically Amish black buggies driven by bearded Amish men. We later learnt that the men grow beards after they get married. Amish men, however, don’t grow moustaches. The men we saw had black or white wide-brimmed hats and wore simple white shirts and black pants.

Women had their heads covered with bonnets, their plain, solid coloured dresses nearly touching their ankles. They wore simple aprons as well as black stockings. The Amish women don’t cut their hair, nor do they wear jewellery. They stitch their own clothes. The women were mostly with their children and other women friends.

As we drove deeper into the Amish area we could see more buggies and ours was the only car around. We came to the large, well-maintained though simple houses, which were mostly surrounded by farming lands. Many houses had a smaller house attached to them, which turned out to be the house for the grandparents. The Amish do not leave their aged parents in old peoples’ homes. They have a joint family system in their own traditional style.

Our guide later told us that when the son gets married, the parents move out to the annexe to make room for the son’s new family in the bigger house. The houses had covered front porches where we could see families sitting together in the evening, watching the world go by.

The next day we drove around the area with the guide who told us about the Amish school system. He showed us the one room schools where Amish girls and boys studied. The Amish speak the Pennsylvanian Dutch language, which is a dialect of German. However, in their schools they are taught English as well. He also told us not to take any photographs as the Amish do not allow it on religious grounds. We were told that the Amish girls have dolls without faces, as making facial likenesses is against their beliefs. The Amish also don’t play any musical instruments.

On Sunday, we could see droves coming back in buggies or on foot from the church. They are strict churchgoers and a deeply religious people, and have a strong faith in their values, continuing their beliefs in a fast changing world. Their simple lifestyle is enough for their sustenance; they don’t crave the modern amenities they have chosen to shun, for fear of becoming too involved in the materialistic and worldly affairs. They don’t have TVs, electricity, or cars. However, I had seen some Amish in Ohio riding in trucks and vans. Our guide told us that in times of need like going to a hospital etc., they are allowed to travel in somebody’s car, but will not drive themselves.

Most of the people were reserved. However, some smiled or waved back to us. The women reminded me so much of our Eastern women for their demure manner.

Some of the Amish have started inviting guests over for a traditional dinner at their houses to earn some money. In the evening, we, too, went for dinner with an Amish family. We had made prior reservations for the meal. It was a big farmhouse with barns and stables. We were greeted with a reserved smile and a quiet hello from the lady of the house. Her husband soon joined us. They wore the simple clothes of the Amish. The skin of their hands and faces was rough and weathered by the sun proclaiming they were hardworking farmers. The children, two girls and a boy, were helping them around the house. A Japanese family also joined us for the meal.

The Amish family was more reserved, perhaps, because we were all foreigners. But one could sense that they were as curious about us as we were about them. Their children would glance at us but they would talk to us in clipped short sentences, not allowing much room for casual talk. There were no pictures or statues of humans or animals around the house. However, there were framed verses from the Bible and some pictures of flowers and scenic surroundings.

They served us with mashed potatoes, vegetables, corn and bread — all made from their own produce. We had chosen not to eat the chicken. The food was bland but rich with homemade butter.

I commented to the wife about her simple but beautiful kitchen cabinet and she told us that they do all the woodwork, including the furniture, themselves. There were hard wooden floors; the house was austerely done up, with simple but hardy furniture. During dinner, our son spilled some milk, which I wanted to clean up, but our hosts wouldn’t hear of it. They told me not to worry, and cleaned it up themselves.

As the meal progressed, they seemed to relax a bit and smiled more, but there remained a certain cautious aloofness in their eyes. I wanted to talk at great length with our hostess, but she was so composed in her manner that no one could venture to ask probing questions, about missing electricity and other things. And what did she and her friends do in their spare time? Were they really satisfied with their lifestyle. Their quiet reserve said it all – they did not want to adopt the ways of the outsiders.

It had become dark in the house by then, so the family lit gaslights. I spotted a huge refrigerator and was told it, too, ran on gas. They also had running water inside the house.

After dinner, we opted for a ride in their buggy. The sun was setting and since there were no streetlights, we had to get back to the farm as early as possible. The husband brought out his horses and strapped them to the black buggy while we watched intently. He lit a lantern and hung it in the buggy. We were asked to sit inside the carriage as the farmer took the driver’s seat. The carriage was compact and quite sparse, like the house.

We went onto the dirt track and then on the road. It took us a few minutes to adjust to the rocking carriage. Soon we settled down to enjoy the ride. We were passing through farmlands. There were no cars, and no other sounds except the one made by the horses’ hooves striking the road.

It was so quiet and serene that we, too, slipped into silence. Now I understand while writing this that the Amish were not really shy or reserved; they were probably in tune with their serene and peaceful surroundings. It is a treasured gift that comes from a life spent in simple ways that they choose to preserve.

But the Amish are not completely cut off from their surroundings. They are adept business people. They have a thriving cottage industry making oak furniture and handicrafts. The Amish women make rustic quilts. All their products are sold in the market, in shops that are sometimes owned by the Amish themselves. We visited one such shop which sold Amish crafts. We bought some quilted cushions. They sell their agriculture produce, like corn, and vegetables to the people in the nearby areas.

More importantly, the Amish have survived in their spartan lifestyle because of their strong beliefs and emphasis on community life. They share and help each other; from building barns to pooling together money for medical expenses.

Soon, the ride was over. We bade farewell to our host family, and to the simple, uncluttered world of the Amish.

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