I Shun Thy iPod

Do you ever think much about the Amish? I do, particularly when I'm swerving around their little buggies and horse droppings while passing through their territory on my frequent trips between here and Punxsutawney.

As I'm driving erratically through the Smicksburg area, I often think about their culture. Several questions pop into my mind. First, at what point did the Amish decide that they would no longer accept new technologies? I mean, if you go back 100 years or so, pretty much everyone was living the same sort of lifestyle we see in current Amish settings, right?

So did they decide enough was enough when electricity started to become popular? Indoor plumbing? Was it the gas powered engine? The iPod? I have no idea.

My next question is this: do these folks really live like this, or is it just a big charade they perform for us non-Amish (also known as "normal") people? I can't help but picture them hiding satellite dishes out behind the barn somewhere, and they all get together to play MarioKart tournaments on their Wii at night. Does anyone really keep close tabs on these folks to make sure they're playing by the rules?

In other Amish news, I had to share these pictures of a couple I met a few years ago along Interstate 80 near Toledo, Ohio. I had passed them on their motorcycle and I didn't think much of it at first, but then I realized that it isn't every day you see Amish people on motorcycles. I slowed down to let them pass, and I followed them to the next rest area.

It turns out they're not Amish at all, and this was their hobby. They're from Columbus, and the man works at a cabinet shop along with several real Amish people who jokingly try to recruit him into their religion from time to time. So these folks have real Amish outfits and they spend their weekends riding around on their motorcycle (note the license plate: "AM1SH").

While I was following them, nearly every car that passed them honked and waved, and we all definitely enjoyed the spectacle!