Teens often push boundaries at this age. They are still learning about the world and going through puberty, which is quite difficult to handle. In Amish communities, there are a lot of rules in place to follow. However, it seems that teenagers get more of a free pass with “Rumspringa.”
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Source: Flickr
This is probably because the adults hope that if they give the younger generation a bit of freedom, after which they will choose to return to their community later on after having their fun. No matter how much trouble teens get into during their Rumspringa, their parents will still welcome them back with open arms.
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“Rumspringa” is a time of great uncertainty and excitement for Amish teens, who are exposed to things they usually aren't allowed to have, such as electronic devices and cars. The decision of whether to return to the Amish community after rumspringa is over can be difficult for many to make.
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Source: Flickr
Some never want to leave since they've gotten so used to the old ways. They can't imagine living in the outside world. Others, however, feel that being able to make choices about their own lives is worth giving up everything they know. But the choice isn’t always permanent. People who leave but later regret their decision may still be welcomed back and baptized by their church.
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Away from the Amish community, Emma felt a little overwhelmed as if she didn’t have her family around to guide her or any idea what tomorrow would bring. She was anxious to get to know her new environment while still wary of venturing out too far.
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Source: TV Over Mind
But Emma immediately felt attuned with her new world. She loved college and cooking, and she was neither isolated nor unhappy as some people might have expected her to be. She admitted the adjustment was hard and that she missed home from time to time, but it was also rewarding.
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When she left the Amish community, Emma was already familiar with many technologies which are taken for granted in the modern world. The Amish may shun electricity, but Emma was no stranger to it. In a 2015 interview with the Atlantic, she mentioned that she already had a battery-operated radio and had even used a cell phone which was given to her by her friend.
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Source: Facebook/Emma Gingerich
This seems like a small thing for someone in the modern world, but for her and the Amish community, it’s quite a big deal. She had to be careful not to get caught with those forbidden items. If she did, she would be punished. Since Emma didn’t fully understand how to use them, things were even more difficult. She just randomly pressed buttons hoping something would happen. But after some time, she was able to work it out.
Emma must have been extremely anxious while making that phone call. Not only was she breaking the rules, but she was potentially changing the course of her life forever. While on the phone, she was terrified of "not hearing the other person on the line."
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Source: Facebook/Emma Gingerich
Having no experience using cell phones, Emma worried she would not be able to make out what the other party was saying or that her voice would be too soft for them to hear. Fortunately, upon hearing a woman's voice, Emma relaxed. She spoke her mind, and a plan was made.
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An eighth-grade education and little experience with the modern conveniences in the outside world meant that everything would be new to her, and she would therefore have to face many challenges. But Emma, as a committed learner and a goal setter, was ready to take on anything.
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Source: Facebook/Emma Gingerich
The first thing she needed to learn to do was typing—which she learned easily, by practicing using Microsoft Word. She didn’t understand at first why some letters were big while some were small, but she soon got used to it. Today, Emma can type without having to look at the keyboard!
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After growing up in an Amish community, Emma must have been completely amazed to see so much information at her fingertips once she got online. Thanks to the internet, she learned many dark secrets about her community, one of which was that her grandfather had apparently abused his daughters.
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Source: Facebook/Emma Gingerich
Unfortunately, the authorities were never able to do anything about it because he was a respected member of the Amish community. This discovery left Emma shocked and shaken. It certainly put her decision to leave into perspective.
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When someone you thought you knew turns out to be someone else entirely, it can be difficult to cope with. When this happens in a family, it can tear people apart. After finding an article about him, Emma learned something extremely distressing about her grandfather.
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Source: Pinterest
Emma shared what she found about her grandfather’s dark past in an interview. She said that her mom and dad never talked about it. Her mom and dad thought it was better to leave it in the past. With a heavy heart, she revealed that she always “kind of knew” her grandfather was capable of doing such an act.
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Maintaining A Connection With Her Family Became Difficult
When you leave the Amish community, you turn your back on much more than just your old life. You leave behind your family, too. For Emma, that meant leaving her parents, siblings, and cousins, which has understandably left a few open wounds in her heart.
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Source: Pinterest
Three of Emma’s aunts left the community before her, leaving their father in the process. The revelation that her grandfather had abused them might have shed light on their leaving for Emma, but her father still struggles to accept his daughter’s decision, despite her attempts to see him.
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Things Would Have Been Completely Different If She Had Stayed
In her teen years, Emma Gingerich chose from two paths that led in two wildly opposing directions. Had she stayed in the Amish community, she would have led a totally different life from the one she has now.
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Source: Listen Notes
But Emma Gingerich, born and raised Amish, isn’t one to look back on the past or wish that things were different. She told ABC News that if she had decided to stay with her family and community, she would definitely be married by now—and she would probably have four or five kids of her own.
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