An Amish farmhouse at night

An Amish farmhouse at night

I recall some time ago while channel-surfing and winding up on one of those programs about the Amish---which are often voyeuristic and even defamatory---which was featuring a particular farm family. After the segment was over, the footage switched to the lot outside of their modest home. It was particularly dark outside, since this was a rural/farming area, and the camera focused on the house. The windows were illuminated brightly, and members of the large family could be observed inside. I can't recall whether or not someone was playing a piano.... but they were singing... rather loudly... together.

Well, lets ponder this. Given our time period, technology, social media, all the chaos and confusion, all the mixed messages and drama, and all the whistles and bells.... here was a family who knew exactly who they were, taking time in the evening to all be together... and sing. It makes me wonder... who really has the better quality of life?

Think of a childless person in a large city, working perhaps the same hours as the Amish farmer, but spending two hours commuting, spending each day taking orders from strangers, supporting someone else's enterprise, spending the day without seeing a horizon or breathing fresh air, stuck in their little box, enduring unhealthy psychological-stress (as opposed to some healthy hard physical work), engaging in the dog-eat-dog world of a concrete jungle, constantly being dictated to as to what to feel and value and believe, and pretending to feel free and empowered when they can occasionally hop on an airplane and take a "fast vacation" somewhere.

Some of the loneliest people around live smack dab in the middle of one of these ant hill like cities. Who is really more healthy and free?

Amish Hymn-Sing

Amish Singing

AmishAmerica.com


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7-7-2019 ADDITION:

Dialogue from the 1989 film 'Next of Kin'

Briar Gates, a resident of the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky....

Briar: "He wanted me to go, Chicago. Shit. Not me, brother. I been there and you can have it."

The other party (sarcastically): "I wouldn't wanna leave these accommodations either."

Briar: "At least it's my place. I still own the land it sits on. I can open the door in the middle of the night and take a piss on it if I want.

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