The way my Amish cousins live together and build community has made a strong impact on my way of thinking. If an action or attitude is not good for my neighbor I must consider if it is good for myself. If there is a need in the community and I can help, I will try. Specifically if my neighbor needs to raise a barn, I will grab my tools and head to the job site. There is little better than working beside nearly every person you know to transform a small hill of boards and joining pegs into a shelter for your livestock and telephone.
Barn raising is an awesome display of many hands making light work. It has only happened a few times in my life, but for many it is a common occurrence. If you are not familiar with the process here are the high points. A newly established family needs to establish a new barn. They find the plot of land and make some plans. Then they buy some lumber and fashion the other pieces needed. Contact the community with the time (by now everyone knows the place). Request that people bring side dishes for the lunch break. Get out the bar-b-q and some chickens, and then the construction begins.
The construction is the wildest part. First you frame the walls, all four of them on the ground at the same time. Each wall has its own small crew of workers. The completed frame is raised into place and joined with its neighbors. Then add some trusses and beans, a roof and some sides, maybe a door and windows, and soon you have a barn. My description does not do the whole process justice, but it does illustrate how long the process takes. In the amount of time it took you to read these words you could have built a barn.
I do not get to many barn raisings these days, living in a row home has slowed that down for me. But I do get to participate in heavy labor with my community. This week about 15 inches of snow was dumped on my fair city, but specifically on my sidewalk and back alley. I know some of you reading only received 4 inches, that’s nice for you. To gain some perspective of what 15 inches of snow is like I suggest you stand up beside your chair. Imagine that the spot where your leg hits the chair is cold wet snow and you will have a fair picture of the height of our snow. Now imagine a shovel in your hand for the next 2 hours while you move the snow from where it is to where you’d like it to be.
The picture I’ve created is true but somewhat harsh. To complete the picture you will also need to image all of your neighbors outside working. Not just working but also talking and catching up. It was a great time to learn that guy’s name, the one who just moved in on the end. Or reestablish a relationship with the older gentleman up the street that works nights. Did you know that the young family down the street is pregnant?
I worked alongside my neighbors all morning. Cookies were passed around freely, we took water and coffee breaks. We even yelled up to the second floor of a neighbor who was apparently taking advantage of the time to sleep. We all agreed he had slept too long.
We made light work of that wet heavy snow. We cleared the cars, the sidewalks and steps, the back alley, and even the side alley that no one owns but everyone needs to use. It was a great time for community building. Next time the snow dumps (the coming week from what they say) I suggest you make a pot of coffee or hot chocolate and take the opportunity for friendship that it presents. Bring a shovel too.
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