Plain Folk and Hand Made Life

Okay, I just thought this was touching.

I often dealt with the Amish while on the pony farm, they usually came around in tour groups like this one, with a driver who was not 'of the faith'. The belief in simple ways includes not driving, of course. They bought ponies at the Chincoteague wild pony auction, for farm work.

I don't know that climbing rocks isn't too unserious for them, but as children I'll bet they did some rock climbing, as I did. These could be Mennonites, by the way, I didn't ask. They spoke some colloquial German. All they wear is handwoven, hand made, even shoes. It was a little hot for these clothes, although the sun was so intense that a bonnet was pretty handy.

How does it feel to be really sincerely bound into a way of life and believe that your god wants you to live life this way, not the way you see going on around you outside your own community? I don't really know, having been part of the majority group in childhood. Now I guess because I believe in tolerance, I don't hang out with the haters. But I don't feel limited by that. I feel freed. I suppose in a way my radical politics is a kind of religion, although it isn't based on a written creed. The Constitution is something I would like everyone to observe. The law would also be a good script to adhere to, even though it has its idiosyncrasies. But you have my permission to choose a Bible, Koran, whatever you like to believe contains the ultimate truth if you like, but I will think it's wrong if you still behave stupidly.

We of the liberal point of view have high ideals, and have a duty of sorts, to do what we can to make public interest the object of government. It's an uphill battle, but worth waging. Preserving the environment is ideally our aim - and living simply is a help in that object. I do walk when I reasonably can, keep my use of electricity to a minimum, and make much of my food from scratch. Making my own clothes, though, probably won't happen. I suppose in my own way, I am 'plain folk' too.

I also don't plan to take up rock climbing.