FREMDSPRINGA
The opposite of Rumspringa; Rumspringa is an adolescent period for members of the Amish denomination of Anabaptist Christians, prior to Baptism; during Rumspringa, Amish teens are allowed to fraternize with members of the English (non-Amish) world and try alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, drive motorized automobiles, and wear non-traditional clothing; fremd comes from the German word, “fremde,” or stranger; Fremdspringa is an unofficial exchange program, relatively obscure, which allows teenagers in larger Amish communities—including Lancaster County, Pennsylvania—to live with English families in major cities like Philadelphia, while the non-Amish parents send their teenage children to live in Amish communities; during the period of Fremdspringa, the English teens participate in Amish activities, like prayer, barn building, farming, and bundling; these English youth are also expected to dress and wear their hair in a typical Amish fashion; a small number of English teens participating in Fremdspringa do not leave the Amish communities; this is permitted, though the English teens are expected to live by the Ordnung; when English teens embrace an Amish way of life, it is considered a reverse-shun (or Meidung); during June of 2000, I rode a bicycle through Lancaster County on my way to West Virginia; due to poor hydration and oppressive heat—which topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit—I came down with heat exhaustion; while still on my bicycle, I got chills and became delusional and nauseous; I stopped on the side of the road, curled up in a ball, vomited on myself, and passed out; I was woken by two young African-American men dressed in Amish clothing with beards and shaved upper lips; I was sure that I was hallucinating; these two young men walked me to their buggy, gave me water, and insisted on taking me to a non-Amish medical clinic; during the ride, I was told that these young men were brothers from Philadelphia and had participated in Fremdspringa five year earlier; at first I thought it was a joke of the “hidden camera” variety; however, after the brothers’ heartfelt stories about falling in love with Amish women, getting married, and being embraced by the community, I was convinced; one of the brothers had three children, while the other had one child, and lost another child to Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD); this was a sad story, but he was a noble man; the Amish brothers dropped me off at a health clinic where I was treated for heat exhaustion; I am too old to participate in Fremdspringa; when I have children, I may consider allowing them to participate in Fremdspringa; I sometimes wear a beard, but I have never belonged to a religion; Amish Honey Carrots with Sweet Pickles is a delicious recipe, and easy to prepare.
