Amtrack and Amish

The Amish of the Midwest, coincidentally, ironically surprise 'the English' when we learn of their acceptance of many modern conveniences. Cell phones are common among Amish youth. And in the Midwest, the practice of rumspringa (which is Dutch for 'Jumpin' around), often involves going out into the outside world and getting a taste of modern society.

For some Amish, who are raised relatively isolated from alcohol, cigarettes, drugs and rap music, the temptation is so strong, and some Amish youth quickly become addicted to crack and meth. In The Devil's Playground, a documentary about Midwestern youth engaging in rumspringa, one subject becomes a drug dealer, addict, and ultimately a jailbird.

This life of hangovers and loud music, over 90% decide, is not for them. It's unfortunate, though, from a non-Amish perspective anyway, that rumspringa seems to encourage the hangover, so that the Amish adolescent learns at the right moment, that outside their quiet farms the world is just nuts.

I like the reminder that the Amish present to Americans. While I believe in progress and modernism, the Amish themselves were born of radical and progressive ideas for their time. And their lives are affected and employ progress and technology much more than we ever imagine. The Amish often use cell phones, and diesel engines, and ride Amtrak.

While the Minnesota Amish see the outside world as a devil's playground, there is a genuine one beneath their feet. Southeastern Minnesota is home to the world's largest underground network of caves. Perhaps to make up for the Spam Museum, Jane encourages us towards one of these caves, just outside of Harmony.

A guided tour takes us underneath, into the lighted passages of Niagara Cave. Our tour guide shows us the fossilized remains of 400 million year old fossil remains: round shapes of giant and extinct butterfly algae.

There are about 200,000 Amish in North America today. But since each couple has on average seven children, they are one of the fastest growing segments on the continent. I wonder, if they ever became the dominant population in Minnesota, would the state continue to produce Spam? And what would our tour guides say about those beautiful butterfly algae fossils, exposed by great cracks underneath Amish country?