Claire L. Hebert-Dow: Outdoors column offers perspective on different cultural lifestyle

To The Daily Sun,

Friday’s issue with Carole Soule’s engaging “From the Farm” update never fails to hold my attention from beginning to end. This week’s story centered on her recent trip to an Amish farm in Ohio (hopefully far removed from the interminable train derailment). 

Quite unlike Carole’s transport from one state to another, I was in the midst of air travel recently and found myself surrounded by Amish families — mom, dad and children of various ages, all under 10. Mom and dad looked under 30. And for those few minutes, several images flashed through my mind — like living on the land must have something to do with developing such calm children, such low-key parents all attired in pressed neutral-toned cotton clothes.

I wondered just how engaging their daily life might be outside of the complexities of social networking and modern conveniences. Thanks to Carole’s article, their sun-up to sundown lifestyle keeps them focused on their basic needs not on the mayhem outside their village. And let’s face it: one never misses what one never had.

Claire L. Hebert-Dow

Laconia