Tammi's World

Amish In The City

Now I have to admit I didn't get a chance to actually sit down and watch this last night. I had it playing in the living room and turned up so I could hear it in the office. (Damn, I seem to do that a lot anymore) Anyway, here are the few impressions I had.

Did ya hear them speaking Pennsylvania Dutch? Did ya? I heard it and ran into the family room. It's been so long for me. Grandpa and Grandma spoke it a lot, and my aunts, uncles and mom did out of respect for them. (Well, and as Grandma's alzhiemers got worse that seemed to be the only language she could remember.)

I could never speak it well, but I had no problem understanding it. Mom always called it lazy German, but I don't understand more than a few words in German and I could follow the Dutch no problem. Anyway that was a sweet walk down memory lane.

I was surprised to hear Mose say it was going to be a tough decision for him to go back to the Amish. He said he had always thought he could not live in the world and maintain his faith. Well, that's what they teach you on a daily basis, so that didn't surprise me. Now he's realizing that his faith is just as strong out in the world as it was before. I just never got the feeling that he really enjoyed what he was seeing in the world. I still think he'll go back. Family and faith are too important to him, and if he doesn't return he'll be shunned. No contact. None. Not with ANYONE in the Amish community.

The "english" are still showing (to me anyway) their bad side. I'm not impressed with them at all, but then I tend to be a bit protective of the Amish kids. I have to keep reminding myself this isn't a contest.

Anyway - the highlight for me was just hearing the Dutch. Ahhh sometimes I miss my Grandparents very, very much!!

Posted by Tammi at August 19, 2004 09:34 PM