Generalizing about the Amish

Erik Wesner posted something on Amish America this week that I couldn’t help but respond to. To understand my comments, one really needs to read his post, which you can do by clicking here.I responded in the comments section, and I am posting these comments here: In reading through the original post and then the…

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Remembering a Sister, Revisited

I’ve had an off week, no doubt partly because two days ago was the second anniversary of my sister Elizabeth’s death. I wrote about her last June 24th, a year after she died. You can read that here.I find this year what I remember the most is the gratitude I had for my Aunt Martha,…

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Interview on Freakonomics Radio

A little while ago, I had a really fun interview with Stephen Dubner, host of Freakonomics Radio for a segment named “The Upside of Quitting” that will be airing on WNYC in New York City on July 1 and at least sixty-five other stations in different parts of the country (at different times). Another former…

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Footprints in the Sand

I had so much fun yesterday! David and I went to Cape Cod to celebrate our birthdays (his was on Saturday, mine yesterday). I cannot believe it took me fifty-four years to make it to Cape Cod, especially since we have lived within three hours of it for the last three years. I am fairly…

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Amish Diversity

Michelle wrote: I’m a fairly new reader, I found your blog after a google search on celery. I’ve always been fascinated by the way the Amish live so lately I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on. Since I haven’t been able to find an answer, my big question is about celery. Why does…

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Freedom and Responsibility

Erik Wesner, of Amish America, brought up an interesting issue about Amish in Kentucky who are refusing to use the orange triangle on the backs of their buggies. Here is my opinion added to the mix:With every freedom comes a responsibility. No car drivers have use of the roads, paid for by all, without obeying…

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Amish and Health Care, Revisited

Sarah wrote: I’m not sure if you’ve talked about this topic, but I’m interested in knowing how the Amish view modern medicine. I’ve seen them in modern hospitals, and I also worked in a chiropractor’s office where many of them visited. Do they have limits on what would take them to a medical facility versus seeking…

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Life, Tragedy, and Death — The Amish Way

Kristina asked: What is the one thing that you would most like to convey to people, about the Amish, to those who are interested in or are praying for them?Kristina, this is rather a tough question, because there are many things I want to convey about the Amish. David made a remark to someone at a…

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More Details of the Book Tour

Thank you all, for your good wishes about the book tour. It’s always a bit hard to know how many details are too many about my book promotion, because the main focus of this blog is “About Amish,” at least what I know about it having grown on in an Amish community. But your comments…

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Home Again…

I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself. ~ Maya Angelou One of my sisters, before my book came out, said that she thought I would just be in my element when I got up to talk in front of an audience. I agreed with her then, and…

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