Billy Writes A Little

rumspringa

The very best thing about working graveyard shift is the sunrise. I have seen so many beautiful sunrises over the last 10 or so years. I always feel so lucky each and every morning during my drive home from work. The golds and the ominous reds filling the sky. The darkness giving way to the light. The end and begining of everything presented to me in the color and the atmosphere of the morning sky. So often i have thought about keeping a camera in my glovebox to share a picture or two with friends and family. But my simple little pleasure has always kept me silent. My little secret.



My only other perk for countless nights of missed sleep is NPR's Morning Edition. A radio show beyond all other radio shows. A morning that could just as easily be filled with rap and hip hop. Which is my normal driving to work listening fare. Just wouldn't be the same without Morning Edition. The sunrise and Morning Edition seem to go together to me. Simple pleasures for a simple mind i guess.



On the NPR.org website they have archived all of the stories in text and the original audio of the broadcast if i want to relive anything i have listened to. And one of the features of the website is called Driveway Moments. People write in and tell of stories that they just couldn't stop listening to. The drive home from work over, sitting in their driveway by themselves, the radio still on. Listening so intently as their neighbors drive by wondering what is going on. But not wanting to miss the entire story they/we/i sit quietly in the car, alone.



My favorite driveway moment and the title to this little post was a story about "rumspringa". To quote from the webpage:
"They live in a strict society, under tight control of their family and close-knit community. But when they turn 16, Amish teenagers are allowed the freedom to explore the customs of the outside "English" world -- including alcohol, drugs and sex -- before deciding whether to join the Amish church for life or leave the community altogether".



After sitting in my driveway until the story ended all i could think about was, Who knew? Why wasn't i told about this? I have never heard even the slightest mention of this on tv or read about it in a news article. And this has been going on forever? Where have i been all this time not to have known? As i turned off the radio i realised just how much my mornings have become to me. Never one to rise early. Never a breakfast person so to speak. And yet now i am afforded a view of my world that is so rich in sight and sound. My Morning Edition begins and ends at the touch of the radio dial, I'm home.



The story can be seen and heard here: rumspringa