Saturday, August 24, 2013

To time machine, or not to time machine, that is the question....

Do you ever sort of wish you could be Amish? Or maybe go back in time 100 years?

Okay, maybe not, because I totally love electricity, but there is something lately that is so appealing about simple. Easy. Predictable. Slower-paced.

Do you feel me?

Life is fast these days. Hard. A little crazy. Exhausting.

And I think a lot of it is because of too many choices.

Think about it. Nothing is simple anymore. If we lived in the olden days, we'd make our own food or pluck it out of the garden or trade it with a neighbor down the street. We'd churn butter, milk cows, pick apples. Then bake, clean up, and do it again for the next meal. Now, I'm to the point where I go to the grocery store and stare at the 45,590 different brands of strawberry jelly and just want to scream "REALLY?"

(Well, I actually did one day, and got a few looks. Then it started a whole conversation exactly like this blog post with a fellow shopper. LOL! Hey, crazy tends to like company. And for the record I bought Smuckers)

How much easier was life then, though, seriously?

Kids played outside, got natural tans, and learned the value of a dollar at a young age. People stayed in shape a lot easier because they worked hard, usually outdoors, and ate wholesome foods. Families stayed together because they worked together, went to church together, prayed together, built their home together, laughed together, needed each other for entertainment and assistance and support, and probably a little because the opportunity to cheat on your spouse wasn't nearly as rampant. Who had time??

There's a LOT of blessings to today's day and age, of course. Medical advancement. Longer life spans. Fun treats. Education opportunities. And technology is a blessing and a curse, based on how we use it. Trust me, I'm not discounting the benefits of society and culture today. We've clearly come a LONG way and I personally adore my hair straightener, air conditioning, and high-speed internet connection  ;)

But I think we could learn a lot from that time period and way of life.

Learn to slow down. Breathe. Appreciate. Work hard, yet not rush. Be productive, yet not obsessive.
Value each other.

What do you think? Can you see yourself living in that time, or even in a modern world Amish environment? Or are you happy with today's pace and loving your curling iron? :)


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