The Little Amish Boy: A Story

In Holliday's text, Theme 2 on Othering took me back to a memory I think about quite often. I was on a mission trip in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania. My church joined others from across the United States to attend "Work Camp". This camp provided students and adults alike with a large service project in the community. Teams of 6 were established with members from all the different states & churches. Some teams were combined to complete bigger projects. My project that week was to help restore a roof and rebuild a porch at the home of an elderly couple. I remember the hot summer day, the beautiful scenery around their country styled house, and the Amish. This is one of the most highly populated Amish cities in America. I had not seen an Amish person before, so when I actually saw "one" it was as if I had seen Big Bird actually walking down the street. I was excited and shouted out, "LOOK AT THE LITTLE AMISH BOY!" I pointed and starred. I was reprimanded greatly by our group leader and scolded for being insensitive. I was very embarrassed for being called out in front of the other students, but also confused as to why Gwen didn't understand my excitement. (We had just SEEN a real AMISH boy!)

I often go back to this moment in my head and wonder what possessed me to shout out like that. Much like the story of the Smith Family in 2.1, I was guilty of Othering. I realize that as a child I was extremely excited with someone who was so different than myself, especially because the Amish are not a common theme in Barrington, Illinois. As a young child I perceived that this other child was different than I was. I formed a stereotype in my head for the remainder of the trip that every resident of Mifflinburg was going to look exactly as that boy had. Just as the boys appearance had been so different than what I 'knew', the interaction that was constructed was absolutely foreign to me. I often wonder why I shouted out and I have come to the conclusion that I was just so outside the bubble I lived in, I didn't know how to react. Does not mean my response was appropriate but this was a major moment I realize that stereotypes began to form in my head. I began to think of that boy every time someone mentioned the Amish, even after I returned home and years passed by.

About a month ago, I had served an Amish family in the restaurant I work at. I, of course, thought about the little boy and smiled. I realized that these people live among the same society that I do. These people could be my neighbors, just as they were in John's case. Their lifestyles may be different, but we assume that it is so drastically so because of their outer appearance. What we fail to realize is that we stereotype other groups, but forget that even those within the groups we identify with ourselves, there are different individuals with different stories as well. "We mean to imagine something to be real when its not," (Holliday, 2010). The father of the family drank a beer that evening, and the children cracked jokes. They ate food off the menu, with no modifications. We create these sub cultures and divides simply by believing the theories of others versus what is reality.