Amish Day of Jubilee

We've long ago gotten used to Amish buggies with boom boxes loudly playing anything from country to rock-a-billy, hip hop, and acid rock.  It most often occurs very late at night and wakes us from our deep sleep as they go clippity clopping past our house.  It’s the youth, of course, and they’re enjoying rumspringa.  

Today took it to a new level.  Must be the Amish Day of Jubilee, or maybe today they just get a Mulligan.  I was trying to have a Sunday afternoon nap, but alas what seemed like a continual stream of buggies and boom boom booms with boisterous youth singing along to the music, brought me from my fitful slumber.

Ah well, too nice a day to waste anyway.  Weather-wise, such a nice mild reprieve from the cold wintry weather of the last few days.  A brisk 3-mile walk was in order.  Headed east on Jericho, rounded the corner onto Zuercher south, and began hiking up the long slope past Augspurgers at a fast pace, hoping to clear the plaque out of these aging arteries.  Walking is good for that.  Have been doing that almost daily since spring, and the hill isn't nearly as steep as it used to be.

Presently, I hear this loud music coming up the hill behind me.  Country it was - Shania Twain I believe - and singing along were a couple young ladies of the Swartzentruber variety.  Sorta surprised me to hear the young ladies, as it’s usually the young men who raise their voices with great abandon and a complete lack of inhibition.   

Now, to add to the charm of the moment, coming towards me from the other direction was another Swartzentruber buggy with an older couple behind the wheel.. er... horse.  The occupants looked rather grim it seemed, as they passed me.  This should be interesting, I thought.  Will the girls cut the music until the old folks are past?  Nope!  Contrary to my own youthful ways of hiding contraband, they cranked that boom box to a wild new level.   Shania Twain sang at the top of her lungs as the buggies passed one another… “The best thing about being a woman, is the prerogative to have a little fun, oh oh oh, go totally crazy, forget I’m a lady,men’s shirts, short skirts, oh oh oh, really go wild, yeah”.   The Amish girls were obviously relishing their moment of freedom as they continued singing their way past me, grinning blissfully and shamelessly. And then the buggy with the boom box disappeared over the hill, and I am left with a memory and a smile.

I continued on then, and by the time I reached Western Rd, the sounds were coming towards me from due east.  Couldn't even see the source.  But it wasn't long until they appeared.  This time it was a buggy full of teen-age boys, and as they passed me, they leaned out and waved crazily.  Probably under the influence of something that they were too young to consume.  But the strangest part is that they all had their faces painted completely black.  Jet black.

I’m afraid there’s gonna be some wild partying tonight.  And probably a lot of bundling to go along with it.   That’s the way of the Swartzies, as we call them.  Sunday night is date night, and young men don’t go home until morning.  

Ah yes, this is the life and times in Kidron Ohio, where all the men are homely, all the women are beautiful, and most of the children will come back home.