As I told you in The Golden Boy Chronicles over the past few weeks, the town near my summer cottage is a very small, rural town. So small it doesn’t even have a single traffic light. So rural that it is not unusual to run into Amish folks now and then. As is the case with most of us, I am fascinated with the Amish because their lifestyle is so different from my own. My kids however do not share my fascination. They’re at an age where the Amish make them uneasy because of their differences. Based on my kids’ behavior, I’m pretty sure the peace-loving Amish feel the same way about them.
A few weeks ago we were driving through the town when we noticed a July 4th Arts and Crafts Festival going on in front of the high school. As usual, there were a few booths run by Amish families selling homemade crafts and goods. My 11 year old son commented on his discomfort around the Amish and then, in a small whisper from the back seat I hear, “I see Amish people.” It was my 8 year old. I could not have been more proud of him and of myself at that moment.