On Mennonites and Organizing

I’m currently on a trip to New York (actually writing this on board an Amtrak train) for the annual Trustee meeting of Women Welcome Women World Wide  but first I stopped to see a best friend Margy, in Elmira, Ontario. Elmira is as small as New York is big. My friend and her family live on 9 quiet acres surrounded by Mennonite farmers. Not Mennonites like the ones in my hometown of Grunthal, Manitoba (way smaller than small Elmira) but the Old Order of Mennonites kind.

In Elmira, the Old Order Mennonites live on farms that are often off the grid, they speak a different dialect of German that I mostly understand but cannot speak, they wear black kerchiefs and plain long dresses, drive (ride?) around in black buggies, and keep themselves quite apart from the larger community. They appear to have an intensely close-knit bond within their own religious community.

Through my friend and around town, I’ve had the pleasure to meet several of the Mennonites. I love the way they talk, both their accent and the words they use, simple, slow, endearing. It fascinates me, as does their lifestyle. They seem to be industrious, hard-working, relaxed, and gracious.

With my friend, I visited the neighbours farm and was invited in to see one of the women’s workshop, where she built miniature replica tractors. Everything seemed to have a quiet sense of order. It wasn’t pristine or perfectly organized, but so much of their lifestyle seemed well-planned and thought out.

Our walk took us out past the barns, past farm machinery that felt like home, through the fields to a conservatory, with a great running path. During my run I wondered about my organizing skills and Mennonite upbringing. Have I come by my skills honestly? How much is hard work a part of my organizing? Is my cultural background a reason I am happy with simple things and believe that less is more?

On my last run, I came across Mennonite men fishing, a ‘parking lot’ of horses and buggies, stopped and spoke with a Mennonite woman named Selindra for a most rewarding chat, and then kept on running, happy with life, grateful for travel adventures, and fitting together my world of organizing with my cultural heritage.

What part of the world do you need organized? I’m happy to combine organizing and travel. Find me at www.goodbyeclutter.ca to book your home visit!