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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Could you live in an Amish community?

90 replies

hellokittymania · 19/05/2017 00:17

Could you adapt to that way of life after living life with technology and everything else? What do you think would be the hardest part?

I would not like to have to make all of my food and store it like that. I came across this video of an Amish house, and I was really surprised. I don't know what I pictured an Amish house to look like, but I didn't think it would look so modern.

I think I would miss things like running hot water and electricity. And technology.

OP posts:
OvariesForgotHerPassword · 19/05/2017 00:24

No. After 24 hours without Internet I'd start making my own cat videos with an imaginary camera and an imaginary cat. After 36 hours I'd be curled up in the corner whimpering "PM me hun" at the wall. Dead in 72 hours.

Original poster
hellokittymania · 19/05/2017 00:28

Does anyone know what that award-winning documentary about the Amish way of living is called? I know there is something, but I don't remember the name.

I also remember they did a series about Amish teenagers living in the big bad wide world for a while but I haven't seen it. I heard a lot of them went wild though when they had access to all of the things they didn't have within their communities.

OP posts:
tickwhitetick · 19/05/2017 00:29

I would kill for the kitchen space

toffeeboffin · 19/05/2017 00:31

They must be worth a hell of a lot of money, all that land in Pennsylvania.

SuperBeagle · 19/05/2017 00:35

No, and I wouldn't want to,

The series you're talking about with the teenagers is "Breaking Amish".

illegitimateMortificadospawn · 19/05/2017 00:39

I haven't seen it, but I know there is a series about Rumspringa, a rite of passage when Amish teenagers live in the modern world for a spell and let their hair down. Most of them go back to quiet Amish lives after.

illegitimateMortificadospawn · 19/05/2017 00:39

Xposted with Beagle

Seren85 · 19/05/2017 00:45

Amish in the City was an MTV documentary about the teenagers "year out". Very interesting watching their final decisions as to whether to return. Could I do it? Not having lived my life as I have now. If I were born Amish? Probably. Wouldn't know any different and would probably go back due to fear of losing family/the unknown.

PyongyangKipperbang · 19/05/2017 00:48

I remember the doco about the teens, one girl became a model but was very shocked about the loose style of living in New York. I got the feeling that she would end up being taken advantage of.

I dont think I could live a genuinely Amish life because of the sexism (leaving the religious aspect aside, as an atheist!). I was brought up in a "Men do as they like, women do as they are told" household. Even when my mother really didnt want to move to the house they ended up in, she gave in to my dad because as the man he had the final say. It didnt go well in our house when I refused to accept that, so I can just imagine who badly that would go down in an Amish community.

In terms of day to day living I imagine it being like camping. A great fun adventure for the first few days and then desperately dull, boring and too much fucking work every day after that.

hopefulpuffin · 19/05/2017 00:49

I live in Amish country (south central PA). There's a lot of land and it's lovely. The cost of living is low. It's also the heart of Trump country which is very frustrating.

There are also a lot of Mennonites who share most of the same values of the Amish but use electricity, drive cars, etc. I went to high school with a Mennonite and he was very nice.

I love the old stone farmhouses (not Amish, just old Pennsylvania Dutch) and the countryside.

I'm fortunate because the town I'm in is remarkably cosmopolitan due to it having a very good liberal arts college. So we have lots of independent restaurants and shops which most small towns here do not have.

Having said that, I'm only here a few more weeks before we move to New England.

VimFuego101 · 19/05/2017 00:51

Did the UK not get to see the gem of a tv show that was 'Vanilla Ice Goes Amish'?

PyongyangKipperbang · 19/05/2017 00:53

The series was "Breaking Amish" after a quick google :)

Seren85 · 19/05/2017 00:53

Amish in the City was aired when I was at college and now DH and I watched it religiously (no pun intended) every day. What struck me was how quickly the Amish teens were like a lot of teens who grew up in the "modern" world and quickly took up smoking and drinking and how they dressed e.g. initially shocked then totally loving bikinis. For a teen reality TV show it was actually really interesting.

Pallisers · 19/05/2017 00:54

That is one seriously wealthy Amish family!

I couldn't live an Amish life because it is utterly and completely illogical. They accept technology up to a certain point and then everything after it is forbidden. But that point is utterly arbitrary. It is not like God came down and said 1688 (or whatever) shall be your fixed point.

I honestly think the logic, thinking, philosophy behind it is ... just not very clever or subtle or anything worth emulating. If it was "let's have a simpler life and let's define it as this on an on-going basis?" maybe. So I'd just want to shout "this is stupid" most of the time. I could imagine living in a "simpler life" community though.

I suppose people choose to continue it because it is a long tradition and a very strong community.

PyongyangKipperbang · 19/05/2017 00:54

I didnt catch that vim, thats not to say it wasnt on but I hope its on YouTube!

Original poster
hellokittymania · 19/05/2017 00:58

Vanilla ice goes Amish? How long did he last? Grin

OP posts:
peaceout · 19/05/2017 00:59

if you were brought up in that community it would just seem normal but it's not a way of live that I would be willing to adopt

user1491572121 · 19/05/2017 01:00

Rather than worry about storing food, I'd be more concerned about the rampant abuse that goes on in those communities.

Original poster
hellokittymania · 19/05/2017 01:02
I found a few episodes from season two.
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PyongyangKipperbang · 19/05/2017 01:04

Well thats me going to bed at about 6 am....!

Keepthebloodynoisedown · 19/05/2017 01:17

Vanilla ice goes Amish is genuinely the best thing I've ever watched, I'd completely forgotten about it until that post

cremeecossaise · 19/05/2017 01:23

I clicked on this with a teeny tiny hope that you were casting a social experiment of some sort. I would LOVE to live in an Almish community for a short period (months? A year....?).

I think it would be fascinating to experience that closeness of community - good and bad bits - and living so totally outside of technology

TheKrakenSmith · 19/05/2017 01:26

No. Amish families are often romanticised but many of them are also hugely abusive, especially towards their girls. It's absolutely awful and really the Internet would be the least of your concerns.

keeplooking · 19/05/2017 01:28

There's a great film called Witness (Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis) set in an Amish community, which has a very authentic feel to it.

Original poster
hellokittymania · 19/05/2017 01:33

Smith, I hadn't thought of that, is it similar to the church of Latter Day Saints in that they marry girls off at 14 or 15?

OP posts: