Leaving the buggy behind

My husband is a wonderful man. Loving, kind, funny and intelligent are all words I would use to describe this man. But mystery also surrounds him. I can't begin to imagine or understand the life he lived prior to the summer of 2007. I will never understand it, but I accept the difference and embrace it as a part of him.

Henry left his old order Amish life behind at the end of July of 2007 and became English.

When we started dating, I had a million questions for him. He's answered all of them patiently and honestly. But he still gets questions. People will ask, but most people are too shy to ask, or just don't get the chance. To bridge the gap, I'm going to interview my husband and for the next several blogs, I am going to bring you his answers.

How did you leave home?

"I left about 8 or 9 o'clock at night. My parents were on vacation, out of state. I left a note on the kitchen table, explaining my decision. I told them that I was leaving and not to worry about me. I brought a lot of stuff with me. I had two travel bags, with all my important ID, documents and all that stuff I had to have, including bank statements, clothes and a few other things. I walked to Mitchell, which was about two miles from my home. I went to the gas station, and I called my friend, Lee. He came and picked me up, and I spent my first night at their home."

What was the first non-Amish thing you did?

"Haircut and phone."

Why did you leave?

"I felt like the lifestyle just wasn't for me. I'll give you an example. I do construction, and I did while I was Amish. Being as you can't use any battery tools, electric tools, things like that, you're very limited in what you can do. I wanted to grow my business, beyond what I could do as an Amish. I probably wanted to enjoy some of the more modern conveniences."

What was the most unexpected part of the English lifestyle you encountered?

"The most unexpected part by far is that in the Amish lifestyle, people are honest with each other. When somebody tells you something, you can rely and depend on their word. You know it's the truth. Out here, people will lie to your face. They will lie to you and stab you in the back. Even your best friends will lie to you."

To be continued ...