Media13.com is a source of free to republish or reprint articles, writers may submit your articles in our database as long so you agree that your article will be freely republish or reprint by other.

Submit Article

Search our database

Received article from us.

Name

Email Address

Friends

Bollywood News
Link building
Article submission service
Freelance Writers
Laser hair removal

We have been looking for freelance writers. Contact us

Lessons I’ve Learned from the Amish by Cari Haus

Copyright 2005 Log Cabin Rustics

During the past five years my online log furniture store has bought literally truckloads of furniture built by Amish suppliers. One of the more interesting fringe benefits of my job as a log furniture retailer has been to become acquainted with the Amish way of life. While certainly not an expert on Amish life, I have learned some valuable lessons from my Amish friends:

Lesson #1: Drawing a line in the sand

The Amish commitment to a simple way of life certainly is admirable. Every belief system seems to have its “rules and regulations” that work out the details of how that belief system is applied to practical life, and the Amish are no exceptions.

My main Amish furniture builder wouldn’t think of using electricity, but his entire log furniture building shop is powered by an air compressor. He won’t allow a phone in his building, but he has a pay phone outside. He rides a horse and would never consider driving a car, but he hoists log armoires and dressers around with a forklift truck. When I asked him about this, he said that was O.K. because the forklift truck was powered by propane. He wouldn’t touch my digital camera with a ten foot pole (I know, because I asked him to snap a picture of some log bunk beds for me), but he doesn’t mind me snapping pictures all over the place and even offered to pay me to take some for him.

While some people may find the above list of seeming contradictions to be somewhat less than admirable, I keep going back to the old saying “stand for something or you will fall for anything”. The Amish have a core value of simplicity, a value they believe in so deeply that they’re willing to take a stand. Although I live life differently than the Amish, I believe in the simple life too, and admire the soft-spoken kindness and unhurried manner I’ve seen in Amish craftsmen.

Lesson #2: Time isn’t Everything

The Amish log furniture builders I know certainly do know how to meet a deadline. If I have a rush order, they’ll bend over backwards to kick it out on time. They do this for a couple of reasons. Since I order a lot of rustic furniture from them, they want to keep me happy. Also, I don’t ask them to hurry very often.

I don’t ask them to hurry very often because one of their belief tenets is against a “rushed” way of life. If I asked them to do rush orders all the time, you can be sure they would bridle against it. By respecting their unhurried ways and limiting my rush orders to one or two per month, I am able to get my Amish suppliers to help me out when a customer is leaving their lake cottage in a week and we really need to deliver.

Although my Amish furniture builder has been willing to drop everything to help push out an order for me, it’s obvious that he is committed to an unhurried way of life. He wouldn’t think of working on Sunday, or even Good Friday, for that matter. The other day when I drove to his place to see about an order (you can’t call him, because he doesn’t answer the pay phone), he was just returning from a family canoe trip.

Lesson #3: Take Time to be Social

The Amish are big on auctions, and will close their businesses at the drop of a hat to go to one. Don’t count on finding them at work on the first day of hunting season, either. They even put that on their answering machine. “This is the first day of hunting season and we won’t be in!”

One day I drove for an hour to pick-up a van load of Amish furniture. When I got to my supplier’s, I learned I would have to wait for loading because the “hired man” wasn’t yet back from lunch. This seemed strange since it was 2:30 in the afternoon, and I couldn’t help saying so. The Amish furniture maker was quick to explain, with an amused little smile on his face, that the hired man had gotten married just two weeks earlier, and ever since then, had been taking long lunches—“very long lunches”.

The Amish supplier I do the most business with right now has four small children. They are amazingly quiet and well-behaved, although I can’t see any evidence that he is ever unkind to them. He speaks to them very gently, and they seem to love him very much—yet they are very obedient. This is particularly refreshing, given the challenging behavior that is exhibited by so many children today.

My great uncle, who was born in the early 1900’s, used to say that he never wanted to go back to the “good old days” because they really weren’t so good after all. He remembered a lot of outhouses and hard work.

I don’t envy my Amish supplier for having an outhouse, but do believe there is much we can learn from his simple way of life. People who drive buggies don’t usually have road rage. People who don’t watch TV or play video games have more time to cook, take canoe trips, enjoy long lunch hours with their beloved, and spend with their children. If you don’t have electricity, you generally go to bed when the sun goes down. Perhaps we, like the Amish, should slow down a bit—and “take time to smell the roses”.

Author Info:

Cari Haus sells log beds and other log furniture on her website, http://www.logcabinrustics.com/.

Latest 20 articles

A California Labor Law Attorney: Just What You Need in Times of Trouble! In a time where California labor law is constantly changing and employers are playing it “fast and loose” in order to make ends meet, a California labor law attorney may be just what the doctor ordered to explain the complex California overtime laws. With a weakening economy, and jobs being shipped overseas, it is not uncommon to see rampant abuse of the California overtime laws. Employers r

Tax Debt Help Needed - How Can I Stop an IRS Bank Levy? The IRS does give you ample warning that they intend to levy your bank account. You undoubtedly received the notice and demand for payment from the IRS which included the amount you owed in back taxes. You probably did not contact the IRS at that time, and that was very important. The next communication you received was called the “Final Notice” which did express their Intent to Levy and also inc

California Labor Laws: Asserting Your Employee Rights Many employees when experiencing a labor violation are confused as to where to turn and typically take one of four paths. 1. A very common path and usually the most treacherous, is doing nothing at all. When an employee is hesitant to hire California overtime lawyers or California labor law attorneys to handle a situation, it usually gets worse before it gets better. Complacency will typicall

California Overtime Laws: Top 4 Common Employer Mistakes A California labor law attorney has revealed the four most common mistakes that employers make in violation of California overtime laws. Although California labor laws for breaks and lunches are clear, nevertheless employers tend to overlook something as simple as giving their employees a meal or rest break. While this is only one of our top three violations, it is often the most overlooked.

A Christian Debt Relief Solution: Debt Settlement Christian families are impacted by difficulties with mounting credit card debt just like non-Christian families. Christians often can be particularly sensitive to finding themselves faced with a situation where they may not be able to meet their unsecured debt commitments. There are many types of Christian credit card debt help out there, and quickly becoming one of the most popular is Christian

Finding Affordable California Health Insurance If you reside in California, it is a strong bet that you need affordable California health insurance. There are many different insurance companies and different types of plans available. Deciding on which one is best for you and your family will require some research. It may be overwhelming but it is paramount to finding the right policy for your particular situation. California individual

IRS Tax Settlement: Could It Provide The IRS Tax Relief You Need? The IRS is coming after you! You owe them money and can’t hope to ever pay the debt! The IRS has threatened to seize your bank account or garnish your paycheck! Everything seems hopeless and there doesn’t seem to be any doubt that the IRS is going to ruthlessly take everything of value that you have. However, there are options to rolling over for the IRS. There are IRS tax relief solution

Credit Card Debt Reduction: Do it Yourself Tips Anyone who's ever owned a credit card, taken out a student loan, financed a car, or paid a mortgage has gathered debt. Debt can feel like a deep pool, but you don't have to drown in it. All you need is a little common sense and some solid budgeting. Remember, you own the debt – it doesn't own you. Here are a few tips that can help you get credit card debt relief you seek. It's like a “do it you

Debt Settlement: Know the Pros and Cons Many people who select a debt settlement program may have already tried credit card consolidation in an effort to resolve their financial difficulties, but may not have been satisfied with the arrangements or the amount of time it was taking to pay off what they owed. For these individuals, debt settlement may provide a faster way to eliminate their debts for the least possible amount of money, wh

Debt Settlement – How Does It Compare? Debt settlement has quickly become one of the preferred methods of reducing credit card debt and starting a new financial future that is free of the vicious cycle that credit card debt problems create! Why has debt settlement become so popular lately? The benefits of a debt settlement program can probably best be illustrated by comparing it to the other options available to consumers caught in th

LCD Wall Mounts and Brackets: WeMountU Offers Versatile Product Range TV wall mounts are undergoing a revolutionary phase of technological improvements. High- end technology has enabled manufacturers to design products for common consumption. Smaller size high- definition TVs have now filled the market stores and anyone with a desire can now afford such luxuries with entertainment.LCD technology based smaller screen size TVs are very common among the customers aro

TV Wall Mount and Brackets Best Buy Online with WeMountU If you have recently purchased a high definition TV based on LCD, TFT, or plasma technology then you must have thought of enjoying viewing digital media experience of the 21st century in its complete sense. Gone are the days when the digital media like the TVs used to be put on a wooden platform or a metallic stand. Wall mounting is the current trend and consumers across the world are enjoying thi

Cantilever TV Wall Mounting: A Revolutionary Concept in Viewing Digital Media with More Comfort Cantilever technology has entered in to a new phase with the incoming of wall mounting feature of the popular digital media. Variable screen sizes of these new age digital media such as the high definition LCD, Plasma, and TFT screen TVs are increasingly becoming popular among the users across the globe. Wall mounting feature of these entertainment hubs has made them even more flexible and people

Large TV Mounts and Brackets: Innovative WeMountU Technology for Large Size Digital Media Size matters and it matters a lot when it comes to TV viewing. The more is the size of TV screen the more it is convenient to view and enjoy with complete comfort. Oncoming of large screen size TVs is mainly because of the introduction of high end technology based LCD, Plasma, and TFT TVs. large size TV wall mounts and large size TV wall brackets are required to place the big screen TVs on the w

TV Wall Mounts and Brackets: Achieving Compatibility with High Definition TVs We are living in an age of high definition wall mounting TVs as the entertainment hubs inside our homes. Things around us have high technological standards and user friendly set ups. Entertainment has undergone a sea change during past few years. We do not view things as we used to view them on televisions .The digital world has changed the whole concept of television viewing. We now have high def

Large Digital Photo Frame: Best Option for Public Display Digital display technology is achieving new echelons with the digital photo frames. Displaying pictures and videos on a screen that can be placed as a simple frame on the shelf or can be fixed on a wall is such a comfortable viewing concept that it is gaining acceptance across the world among millions of users. Display and clear viewing is somewhat proportional to the screen size. It makes an eq

Pictorea-Pro: an exclusive Range of Digital Photo Frames from UDiggit Digital photo frame is an advance technology device that facilitates you with displaying your family photographs, images, presentations, videos, and movies. UDiggit brings a huge range of such digital picture frames for you. The company also enjoys a leading role in this segment across the UK markets There is an exclusive range of digital photo frames offered by UDiggit for customers who are

Best Buy Digital Photo Frames from UDiggit: Go For Something Unique and Elegant A specialist knows what and when to deliver in best way. Exponentially growing technology based market is becoming digital in all aspects very fast .Digital display technology has now achieved a new hallmark with the introduction of huge range of digital photo frames by UDiggit, a market leader in the United Kingdom. As a manufacturer and a retailer both, UDiggit has attained a level of digital ph

Boardroom Digital Photo Frames: A Customized Digital Display Device for Corporate ‘Screen’ is the keyword for present day digital media that propagates and disseminates information by all means. Whether it is a presentation, a discussion, a meeting, or a boardroom deliberation screen comes in the central role. Digital photo frames are actually an advance form of a simple screen. In corporate world the boardroom digital frames are actually the large size display screens. This