Barrie Mann
Special to the Sun

Having suffered through a wet summer this year, all of central Pennsylvania is a brilliant green. Usually in early September the fields and trees are showing signs of heat distress and lawns are a shade of light brown instead of the lush green showing this year.

We are in Pennsylvania to visit with family and friends. Our traveling companions have left us to travel to western New York State to visit with their family also. Our plan all along had been that once we reached this part of the country we would separate and continue our journey, with us heading south to Florida and they would start heading back to the Kern River Valley. We spent our first few days in Pennsylvania visiting with close family members, enjoying company, catching up with family matters and revisiting family history. We were staying in the small town of North Apollo approximately 60 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. If you drive for more than five minutes in any direction you find yourself deep in farm country with most of the fields planted with corn or hay.

As you drive down the narrow, twisty roads and look around you notice that the houses are neat and tidy and all the windows have the same look about them. The drapes in the windows are of white lace and arranged in the same manner. This is the first clue you are in Amish country. The next clue may be a road sign that shows a horse and buggy or maybe even a horse and buggy being driven on the road by a bearded man in very distinct clothing or by a woman in very plain dress with a white cap on her head.

Most people are aware that the Amish exist but mistakenly believe that they are located in Lancaster County, Penn. In fact, the Amish have communities in several states as well as many small communities generally located in very rural areas.

The Amish are a very interesting group and their beliefs vary from community to community. Some are very rigid in their beliefs and will not associate themselves in any activity that involves electricity in any form, or any form of transportation that is not horse drawn or powered by them. Some, however, will use batteries to power the lanterns on their buggies and will ride in cars or trucks, take a train or plane ride if needed, but will not own any type of mechanized transportation.

The Amish male is usually married by the age of18 and once married will no longer be allowed to shave. The young woman will wear a cap of white if she is unmarried and once married changes the cap to a dull shade of grey blue. Amish children attend Amish school until the eighth grade and then the boy will learn a trade and the girls learn how to run a household. The Amish men are extremely skilled in the art of furniture and cabinet making and use tools driven by belt systems powered by engines that are fueled by gasoline. Amish women are known for their cooking and sewing skills; you can find examples of their wares in local stores that specialize in Amish furniture and quilts. Many of the local stores also carry Amish foodstuff for the tourist to enjoy.

Outsiders to the Amish are known as “English” but interestingly enough if an Amish man or woman breaks away from their strict beliefs, they are identified as going “Yankee” and are ostracized by their community until they publicly repent and ask to be allowed back into the community. They are extremely religious and take many parts of the Bible in a literal manner. There are no churches; weekly church is held in the home of an elder and rotated on a weekly basis. After church the community gathers for a social meal and enjoys exchanging news and teaching the younger generation both family and cultural history.

The Amish may appear to be strange to us and rigid in their life style. But crime is almost nonexistent among them. Divorce is not allowed and separation from each other unheard of. They have strong family values, a work ethic that many company owners would love to see in their employees. So I guess there is something to be said for their way of life after all.