It's Rumspringa!

A picture is worth a thousand words... but I didn't have the camera and even if I did, it would have been totally disrespectful to take the picture. Soooo....words will have to give you the visual image:

• Gas Station


• Souped-up Volkswagen at pumps -- tinted windows, low-riding, playboy sticker, tassles hanging from the mirror, and of course the vrooom, vrooom loud muffler sound.


• Boy pumping gas -- beige shirt with suspenders and black polyester pants, bowl-like haircut, no hat. Could he be Amish? YES!!!

Rumpsringa is when Amish kids turn 16 and they are allowed to explore the "English" ways. By George this kid was exploring -- right down to the playboy sticker. Two years ago, Rick and I were spending a good bit of time riding bike prepping him for a hundie, and we often went by this one farm that had tons of Amish kids always hanging out -- they were "exploring." Cigs, booze, flirting, rock/rap music, cussing, driving cars/trucks (always souped up and decked out with fancy stuff), all a way of life for many 16 year old amish kids. Those brats! :) If you really wanna learn about them, here's an interesting book on it -- To be or not to be Amish Rumspringa, by Tom Shachtman. NPR did an interesting article on the subject, mentioned this gentleman's book.