The Amish on American Experience Now Online

Thanks to all who have sent me comments about American Experience. I am very pleased with how David and my story was portrayed. I've already mentioned that I love the film in general... it's the most balanced documentary I've ever seen on the Amish.

For those who didn't get to see it last night, you can now see it on the American Experience website. Enjoy!

I look forward to hearing everyone's "take" on the film.

A photo of our wedding

The Amish on American Experience Tonight!

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY DAVID BELTON

PRODUCED BY CALLIE T. WISER

CINEMATOGRAPHY BY TIM CRAGG

EDITED BY CHYLD KING

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER LIZ SHEA

PRODUCTION SOUND MIXER JOHN D. GOOCH

ORIGINAL MUSIC BY SAUNDER JURRIAANS & DANIEL BENSI

SENIOR PRODUCER SARAH COLT

 

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IS A PRODUCTION OF WGBH BOSTON

SERIES SENIOR PRODUCER SHARON GRIMBERG

SERIES EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MARK SAMELS

A Question of Accountability for Monroe L. Beachy

This morning there was a story in the New York Times about Monroe L. Beachy of Sugarcreek, Ohio, who was running an investment firm for 25 years and then suddenly filed for bankruptcy in June 2010.

From the article, it sounds like Beachy made his first mistake by placing his trust in someone who was not worthy of it. Then he made more bad decisions by trying to cover up the ones he’d already made.  

This article is extensive and includes a summary of the Amish and Mennonite proposal to the Federal Bankruptcy Court in Canton, Ohio:

“Monroe Beachy in his time of distress breached the trust of his fellow Amish and Mennonites” by entering an “environment of coercion and self-protection in the bankruptcy court,” a group of church elders told the judge, urging him to put the case into the hands of the church where it belonged.

That would accomplish three worthy goals, they said. It would allow a less expensive, more advantageous financial workout “based on Christian principles of love and care for the poor and needy.” It would create a setting in which “Biblical forgiveness and restoration can be found between Monroe Beachy” and those he is accused of betraying. And it would repair “the tarnished testimony and integrity of the Plain Community.”

Though 2,300 of 2,600 creditors filed letters endorsing this plan, it isn’t clear in the above proposal whether all the investors were from Plain communities. However this Washington Post article from February 17, 2011, did make that point clear when it was stated: “Bankruptcy officials have argued that it would be unconstitutional to transfer the work of the court to Amish church leaders, noting that some of the investors, who came from 29 states, are not Amish.”

This seems rather an important detail, for how can the Amish or Mennonites claim that this case should be placed in their hands, if not all the investors belong to their church? It sounds like this would only open the door to problems later. Most likely if the Amish or Mennonites felt they were dealt with unfairly, should the church elders get to decide how the money is divided, they would not bring the matter to court, for it is indeed against their principles to settle their disputes in court. But the decisions made by the elders may not satisfy someone outside the church who doesn’t go by these standards. This could bring the matter right back to court.

Taken in Holmes County, Ohio

The response from the Amish community when their motion to take the matter into their own hands was denied shows their humility and deeply held and lived Christian faith. In a letter to the judge, the members of the A&M Trustee Committee wrote: “We are agreed among ourselves to accept your ruling as the will of Almighty God in this matter.”

I’m glad that the Amish and Mennonites are accepting the decision, for I believe the judge has made a sound one. The court-appointed bankruptcy trustee, Anne Piero Silagy, is optimistic that up to 50 cents on the dollar can be returned to investors. This sounds like the fairest way to deal with the problem of who gets how much money. It is an expensive lesson for all the investors and yet it is a natural consequence of having misplaced their trust in Beachy, just as he mistakenly placed his trust in others. If, after the plan has been implemented, there are still Amish and Mennonites who feel the care for the poor and needy has not been satisfied, they have the prerogative to follow their Christian principles by contributing to those in need. Among the Plain communities, they know who these people are.

The Plain People are also free to forgive Monroe Beachy, but it doesn’t mean he shouldn’t face consequences for his actions in greater society. He is both a member of the Plain community and a citizen of the United States. As a member in good standing, the Amish principles dictate that he cannot file for bankruptcy because he needs to be accountable for his debts. As a citizen of the United States, he also needs to face the consequences of his fraud. Making exceptions in our judicial system for someone because of his religious beliefs is a slippery slope. After all, if Beachy hadn't violated these Christian tenets in the first place, there would be no need for court action.

Reminder to Watch American Experience on February 28

I wanted to remind you all to watch the documentary "The Amish" on American Experience (PBS) this coming Tuesday, February 28 from 8 to 10 pm, ET. It's a good idea to check your local listings. You can watch a preview of the film by clicking here.

David and I've had a chance to view the film and show clips of it at book talks. Our own impressions have been mirrored by others who have seen the film -- that this is a a thoughtful and insightful rendition of "The Amish." Much of the film is done in the voices of current members of various Amish communities. The cinematography is so beautiful, with meaningful symbolism throughout.

So, I hope you get to see the film. If you happen to miss it on Tuesday, it will be available on their website after airing nationally.

I hope you tune in to your PBS station on Tuesday, February 28 from 8 to 10 pm.

Below are two behind-the-scenes shots of the day of our interview with the film crew.

 Me in the hot seat, the camera man (with his face obscured) and the sound man

Our entrance the day of the interview

Snapshots 5 - No Time for Writing Poetry

When I was going into third grade, an Amish school was being built in our area. For some reason, my parents decided to send Joe and me to Amish school that year, and to keep my two sisters in public school. As far as I know, there were no pictures taken of me when I was nine.

When I was going into fourth grade, my parents decided to put us all back into public school, for reasons still unknown to me. That year I had Mrs. Rusnak for a teacher. She had curly gray hair and dark eyes framed by pink glasses in the pointed style of the sixties. She was kind most of the time, but one day, several months into the year, she walked up and down the aisles and slapped papers onto student’s desks, saying, “You haven’t learned a thing in arithmetic this year, and you haven’t done a thing to improve your penmanship!” I flinched at every slap, waiting for my turn to find out what I was bad at. But she only stopped at my desk long enough to drop off my English paper, with an A written at the top left-hand corner.

I read many books the year I was in Mrs. Rusnak's class. Many of them were books Mem and Datt wouldn’t have approved of. Nancy Drew books were among them. I made sure the ones I took home were the safe ones, such as the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. 

A few weeks before Christmas, Mrs. Rusnak told us we would draw names for a gift exchange, the boys and girls separately. We girls all put our names on little pieces of green paper, dropped them in a hat, and watched Mrs. Russell mix them and pass the hat around. Then we each drew a name from the hat. The boys did the same.

On the day we opened our gifts, I was so excited, I could barely contain myself. Mrs. Rusnak finally passed out the gifts. Mine was a small box wrapped in red paper with a delicate green bow on top, and I almost hated to untie it, it was so beautiful. I held my breath, as I unwrapped it. Inside lay a little silver necklace and bracelet on a cushion of soft cotton. My heart stopped a moment as my excitement turned to disappointment. All this anticipation, and now I could not have this gift. I wondered what I was going to do with it.

Debra Model, who sat in front of me, asked, “What did you get, Saloma?”

I showed her the necklace and bracelet. “Oh, they’re beautiful,” she said, and we both gazed at them. I whispered, "I'm not allowed to wear them." I paused and than asked, “What did you get?”

“Oh, just this,” she said, pushing a book with her hand. “I’ve already read it. It was a copy of Heidi.

“I love that book,” I whispered.

“Want to trade?” Debra asked.

Without a word I gave her the necklace and bracelet. I looked at the cover of the book with a picture of Heidi’s grandfather’s hut on top of the mountain. Heidi and the goats played in a field of flowers. I lifted it in my hands and the beauty of it made me hold my breath. It was the first book I ever owned.

On days when Mem felt overwhelmed with the amount of work she had to do, she would have me stay home to help her. She would fill out the excuse slips afterwards, “Stayed home to help.”

I had been absent many days, when I was given a letter from the principal’s office. I brought home the letter and gave it to Mem. I heard her and Datt talking about the note. Mem was being asked by the school not to have me stay home to help anymore. I could tell she was upset by the way she couldn't keep her mind on what she was doing.

After that, whenever I stayed home, the excuse slips simply said, “Ill.”

One day I was asked to go to the principal’s office. I had only seen Mr. Franks' office as I’d walked by on my way to the bus, and I’d seen him in the hallways or the cafeteria. Whenever he saw me, he would say a hearty “Hello, Saloma!” and sometimes he would stop and talk to me. It seemed to me he talked to me more than the other students, but maybe he had a way of making all students feel that way.

When I walked slowly into his office, I held my breath and concentrated on the different colors of tile at my feet. Mr. Franks sat behind his desk, which was piled high with papers. He looked at me over the top of his glasses. “Saloma, have a seat,” he said calmly.

I sat down, with my hands in my lap.

“Saloma, I’m sure you are wondering why I am asking you to come to my office.” Mr. Franks paused a moment. “You haven’t done anything wrong. But I need to know something. Were you really sick yesterday?” He took off his glasses and chewed on the earpiece, never taking his eyes from my face.

I looked at the stacks of papers on his desk and felt the confusion rolling around in my stomach. I knew that Mem had lied and that she would probably expect me to lie to cover up hers. Mem and Datt had whipped me for lying before. Would they whip me for not lying this time? The turmoil made my stomach turn.

Mr. Franks looked at me from across his desk. He was waiting patiently. He said quietly, “You can tell me the truth.”

I swallowed back the tears. Finally, I shook my head to indicate that I had not been sick. Then I couldn’t hold the tears back. When I started crying, Mr. Franks slipped his glasses back on and said quietly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry. I just want you to get the schooling you deserve, Saloma. You are a good student.”

I cried harder. Mr. Franks handed me a tissue. After a few moments, he said gently, “You may go back to your classroom.”

I wiped away the rest of my tears in the hall before going back into Mrs. Rusnak's class.

* * * 

In June, on the last day of school, Mrs. Rusnak asked me to remain inside when the others went out for recess. On my report card, it showed that I had been absent thirty-one days that year. I sat still in my desk, thinking she was going to ask me more about my absences. She sat down in Debra's desk in front of me and pushed her pink glasses further up on her nose.

“Saloma,” she said quietly, “Have you ever thought about writing poetry?”

I was speechless. How could I have told her that Amish girls don’t write poetry, that when I got home I had to help fill the wood box, clean out the lunch boxes, bake the next day’s lunch cookies or cake, fill the lanterns, help Mem make supper, and finally do dishes and sweep the kitchen. I couldn’t tell her that there wasn’t any time for poetry, that there wasn’t a private spot in our house where I could go to write, and that I had siblings who would snoop and scoff at what I wrote. 

“I think it would be a good idea for you to think about it,” she said with a smile, and then she got up and left the classroom.

I sat still and stared after her. I wondered why she had waited until the last day of school to say this to me, and not earlier, when I could have done the writing at school. 

When I think of this now, I often wonder if Mrs. Rusnak had offered that suggestion to my future. And who knows whether this "seed" lay dormant for years, until I was ready to write -- in this case prose, which seems to satisfy my muse.

Snapshots - 4

I was warned, when I went into second grade that Mrs. Takacs was a scary teacher. However, no one could have prepared me for the first day in her classroom. She started out listing all the rules. Not only did she give us the rules, but she described what would be the consequences if we broke the rules. No sticking our feet into the aisles -- she would step on them if we did. One look at her, and I tucked my feet under my desk and vowed I always would. No writing in cursive, or else we would get an F on our paper. No fighting or arguing, or she'd send us to the principles office. And there were more rules, many of which I don't remember. I was beginning to wonder what was left that we were allowed to do before she was done. Then, for good measure, she said, "And if you break these rules.... " she got up from behind her desk and went over to the counter where there was a big paper cutter. She picked up the handle of that thing and said, "I'll put your head under here and... " Whomp! She slammed the handle of the guillotine down with her mighty arm.

Being a child who took everything literally and one with an imagination, I saw a head rolling onto the floor, with a tongue hanging out. I was never so scared in all my life. I felt my hands getting sweaty and my heart was racing. I looked at the door of the classroom, hoping someone was coming to rescue us from this awful person who was supposed to be our teacher. I thought there had to be some mistake -- teachers were kind, helpful people who were there to help children learn, right? I was paralyzed with fear.

I don't remember how I got through that school day, but I do remember telling Mem what Mrs. Takacs said when I got home that day. Mem tried to assure me that Mrs. Takacs was just saying that so we would behave. I wasn't so sure.

Years later, when I read Roald Dahl's book Matilda to my sons, I recognized my second-grade teacher for who she was -- Mrs. Trunchbull! I thought Roald Dahl must have had her for a teacher himself.

It was in second grade that the individual photo of me came about that wasn't supposed to happen, at least not by Amish standards. On the morning of "picture day" my mother said, "Now if they insist that you need to be in the class picture, that's okay." I knew this was Mem's way of saying, "I really don't mind you taking pictures, but I can't tell you it's okay, because it's not the Amish way. When I got to school, and the other children were lining up to go to the gym for pictures, Mrs. Takacs said, "Saloma, since you aren’t having your picture taken, you can stay in the classroom." I popped up out of my seat and said, "But my mother said I could be in the class picture!" She ignored me, so I got in line with the other children, and when it was my turn, I climbed up on that stool and grinned my toothless smile into the lights and the camera.

Years later, after I'd left the Amish, I went back to the school I had attended, and asked if they had any pictures left from those days. She sent me to where the records were being kept. Someone pulled out my second-grade record, and there in the top left-hand corner was this picture of me -- only 1 inch by 2 inches big. I explained to the keeper of the records that I had no other pictures of myself and asked that I be allowed to borrow it. She did allow it, so I had a photographer reproduce  and enlarge it. 


Recently, when David and I were talking about this, we realized that I was smiling into the future when I got up on that stool. This image used to be on every loaf of bread and pie and package of cookies I sold when I was a professional baker. Now it is on the cover of my book. Little did I know then...

Snapshots - 3

Today I get back to my Snapshots series that I started a while ago.

Once I got used to Kindergarten in public school, I loved school. My teacher was wonderful and I felt part of the group. Entering first grade was another difficult transition. The days seemed so long. The classroom was less relaxed, and the teacher was much more uptight than Mrs. Maloney had been.

There were three reading groups in first grade, Groups A, B, and C. I was in the B group, and I tried so hard to read well so that I could move into the A group. Then at some point I realized I'd never seen anyone get "promoted" from one group to another.

There was a routine in Mrs. Molzen's class. She could get pretty stern with children. I managed to stay out of her way most of the time. In late afternoon, not long before it was time to go home, the janitors brought glass bottles of milk in crates to our classroom for snack time. One afternoon, they came up short. Mrs. Molzen was fussing over this. I wasn’t paying much attention until I looked up and saw three bottles sitting on the shelf inside the door. I jumped up out of my desk, pointed at the three bottles, and said, “There are some! They are right there!”

Mrs. Molzen grabbed me, and with her fingernails biting into my arm, she guided me back to my seat and said, “I did not ask you to get out of your desk, now you go back and sit down! We have already counted those!” I could feel my face become red with shame as the other children simply looked at me.

Below is a photo of my first grade class. It's easy to see who I was, given I was the only Amish child in my first-grade class. 

Click on the photo to enlarge

Excerpt of Success Made Simple and Winner Announced

I thought I would share an excerpt of Erik Wesner's book, Success Made Simple.


Well-defined goals and a meaningful, ingrained business vision are an essential part of running a prospering company. Pessimists, setbacks, and subpar early results all serve to discourage beginning businesspeople, and sometimes even prove fatal. A deeply rooted vision assists owners at all stages of their business lives, acting as an engine to power the individual through obstacles and on to achievement.


In many cases, the vision comes before specifics have been hammered out. "I was just about sure somebody could make it work.... How it was all gonna work out, I wasn't sure, all the details," one Amishman explains. But he had a good enough idea of what the final result should look like in terms of business and the way his or his family's life fit into it.


Today his firm is a success, and you can read the satisfaction on his face; he takes pride in providing service and employing a healthy handful in his community.


Your vision depends on you and reflects your personal drives, desires, and values. And you don't necessarily need a grandiose world-altering goal or chorus of angels or trumpets to know a vision has arrived.

I'd like to thank Erik Wesner for offering a giveaway of his book, and thanks to all of you who participated in this giveaway. And the lucky winner is:

Sprouting Acorn!

Congratulations, Sprouting Acorn! If you'll send me your address (salomafurlong at gmail dot com), I'll be happy to send that to Erik.

For those who would like to buy this book, you can do so. Erik is a fan of Amazon, where you can buy it, as well as in boxstores in Amish areas.

And be sure to visit Erik's blog, Amish America, for he regularly posts a variety of engaging and interesting topics about Amish culture. 

Erik Wesner on "Success Made Simple" and a Giveaway

Erik Wesner is the author of Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Forgiveness Conference at the Young Center in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania last year. He is a thoughtful and insightful researcher of Amish culture. Success Made Simple is his first book, but I don't think it will be his last.

Erik is also the writer of the blog Amish America. If you haven't already, do check this out. I told him when I spend more time on his blog than my own, it must mean that his is more interesting than my own! He is very good at examining issues that I tend to take for granted.

Here is my interview with Erik Wesner:

How did you conceive of the idea for your book, Success Made Simple?

It hit me one day when I was out jogging.  I had an unusual job for a number of years--selling books in Amish communities (mainly a 10-book set called the Family Bible Library).  Doing that job, I visited a lot of Amish homes and Amish businesses as well.  I was impressed that these places seemed so busy and simply to be doing well.  

I had read a book called Amish Enterprise: From Plows to Profits by Donald Kraybill and Steven Nolt, which gives an in-depth look at the migration of Amish from farms to business.  It struck me that it may be interesting to hear more about the businesspeople's stories and their ideas on how to prosper in business.  So it was inspired by Amish Enterprise but is a different format--more a business how-to book, told in large part through Amish voices.  

What vision did you have for it? (For its audience, reception, sales, and overall success?)

Since it takes the Amish as its subject it's an atypical starting point for business books.  I wasn't sure how it would be received--I figured it would get some attention, but I was surprised that quite a few major media outlets took interest in it, including Time magazine, CNN, and numerous business publications.  I wrote it for an "English" audience, while also trying to make it appealing to an Amish readership.  I've had a good bit of readers in both categories, and some nice feedback from both Amish and English.  Overall I've been pleased with how it's been received. 

How long did it take to get this book published after its conception?

From conception to actual publication date was about 3 and a half years.   After I signed a contract with a publisher I had about 18 months to get a final manuscript together.  

You obviously did a lot of research for this book. What were some of the challenges you faced? What about surprises?

I interviewed 60 Amish businesspeople for the book.  My road was paved in a sense by the relationships I had established beforehand, stemming from my own book sales experience.  Some of my interviewees were friends and acquaintances I had kept in touch with since selling books.  

Others were just people that had purchased books from me a few years before, and we hadn't been in touch since.  Still others were referrals from people I knew.  The vast majority of people I asked for an interview agreed, so I felt good about that.  Most were interested in the topic and quite a few have read the book since it came out.   

Challenges included writing the book while living in Poland.  I made 6 or 7 total trips to Amish communities during the research phase, but most of the actual digestion of info and putting things on paper happened when I was overseas.  Not the typical way to write an Amish book I guess.  

I was surprised at how candid some of my interviewees were.  Some people were more guarded about what they said, others were very comfortable discussing the topic at some length.  I think the fact that I assured people that I wouldn't use their real names helped (although at least one of my interviewees asked why I even did that--"we don't have anything to hide!").  

Do you think the Amish were forthcoming about safety issues concerning themselves, their employees, and their children involved in the business?

It's a good question.  The issue came up a couple of times during my interviews, but safety wasn't really a primary area of focus for the book, so I simply didn't explore it deeply.  My feeling is that an Amish existence is on balance more physically dangerous than a suburban one, for both adults and children (I asked the same question on a post on my blog last year).  It's closer to the rural experience that past American generations had.  

Have you received any feedback from readers who used your book’s principles to help them succeed in their own businesses?

I have gotten positive feedback from readers who've applied the ideas.  The core message is getting back to basics, doing the simple but sometimes overlooked things well.  I think that idea resonates especially now in times of economic uncertainty and also following examples of businesses and people who maybe lost track of that idea.  

You have several overall messages in this book — I like the one that we do not need to become Amish to use their business principles. Do you think this is true in other aspects of life as well?

I think "Amish principles" for lack of a better term (those positive things outsiders admire about Amish) work--or rather, work to the degree that they do--to some extent by virtue of being in an Amish context.  In other words I think it helps to have a more-or-less uniform group having the same beliefs and same commitments to the group, and a unifying religious motivation.  

I think we can be good to our neighbors like the Amish do, though, without being Amish.  Amish are in some sense bound to act well towards their neighbors (though Saloma I'm sure you can attest to examples when that wasn't the case!), so there is probably a greater certainty of seeing  happening in an Amish setting.  That said ideas such as frugality or neighborly cooperation or treating others like you want to be treated are hardly exclusive to Amish and do of course exist in other settings.  

Has your vision for this book been realized?

That's a broad question, but part of the vision is simply getting a first book published.  As you know Saloma it can be hard to measure the impact your writing might have outside of the things you hear from people who take the trouble to share.  But on that scope I feel good I was able to publish a book with a positive message that I hope has ideas people will find useful. 

Do you have plans for writing any more books? If so, on what topic(s)? 

I have another book in the works now.  It's subject is lesser-known facts about the Amish.  I get a lot of questions via my website, some of which I don't have answers to, so it grew out of that (maybe I need to interview you again Saloma!).  Things like: "Do you have to be a certain age to become a bishop?" or "Are quilts in Amish homes the same as the ones in shops?" 

It's been nearly done for awhile, but things got delayed a bit.  As of this month (Feb 2012) I'm revving up to get it finished.  Has been a lot of fun to research and (I hope) read.  I'll have more info upcoming on my site.  

Please tell us how we can buy your book. 

Success Made Simple is available at all major online sellers; I'm a fan of Amazon.  You'll also find it in some bookstores in Amish areas.    

Please tell us about your blog “Amish America” and provide a link. 

At Amish America we explore a wide range of Amish themed topics, including Amish settlements, beliefs, practices, use of technology, controversies, and much more, with a new daily post Monday-Friday.  

One thing I like about the site is the atmosphere of people sharing their ideas and experiences.  We have many wonderful readers who contribute a lot themselves.  So feel invited to pay a visit and share your thoughts in the comments.   You can find us at amishamerica.com.  

Erik is kindly offering a giveaway of his book. To enter, please leave a comment or question below and state clearly whether you would like to have your name included in the drawing. I will draw a name next Friday, February 10. 

Photo courtesy of Belmont University