One Out of Three, Not Bad
House of Mirrors,
You got one out of three correct about me. I did receive a 4-year varsity letter in track in high school and set the school record in the 100 yards dash.
However, I don't need your help and it was my grandfather (not my dad) who was the medical doctor delivering over 10,000 babies in Wayne County, Ohio. 52 of them were named after him. He was one of the longest practicing physicians in the history of the State of Ohio. He was featured on the front page of a Sunday-edition Washington Post and a Sunday-edition of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He was a 'dying' bread of doctors with a general practice whose advice some times was more important than the medicine to cure sickness.
He practiced medicine until he was 87 and in his latter years most of his patients were Amish. He was one of the few that they trusted. And, the Amish in Holmes County and southern Wayne County know something about trust, the value of community and neighborhood that we need these days in our community.
When one was struck with disaster, they all pitched in to help. They would raise a barn to help a neighbor within hours. On Sundays, they spent the entire day at one of their homes first with church services, then with a huge lunch for all, and then games in the afternoon.
They knew the value of teamwork. They knew how to work hard and they knew how to have fun.
While some in my community made fun of the Amish, I never did, and neither did any of my friends. They have something special, that we all could learn from.
The mix of rural setting with a small town and some subdivisions 20 years ago was what made me fall in love with this community. Reminded me of the mix in southern Wayne County ... farmers, some towns like Shreve, and some subdivisions outside of Wooster in Wooster Township.
Well, folks, I don't think it is like that any more. And, our Amish-togetherness is long gone.
P.S. If you are ever in the small town of Apple Creek, go by the town hall named after my grandfather built by the Amish within a day to honor my grandfather after he passed away. Trust, teamwork and community.
By Mark W. Uher
House of Mirrors,
You got one out of three correct about me. I did receive a 4-year varsity letter in track in high school and set the school record in the 100 yards dash.
However, I don't need your help and it was my grandfather (not my dad) who was the medical doctor delivering over 10,000 babies in Wayne County, Ohio. 52 of them were named after him. He was one of the longest practicing physicians in the history of the State of Ohio. He was featured on the front page of a Sunday-edition Washington Post and a Sunday-edition of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He was a 'dying' bread of doctors with a general practice whose advice some times was more important than the medicine to cure sickness.
He practiced medicine until he was 87 and in his latter years most of his patients were Amish. He was one of the few that they trusted. And, the Amish in Holmes County and southern Wayne County know something about trust, the value of community and neighborhood that we need these days in our community.
When one was struck with disaster, they all pitched in to help. They would raise a barn to help a neighbor within hours. On Sundays, they spent the entire day at one of their homes first with church services, then with a huge lunch for all, and then games in the afternoon.
They knew the value of teamwork. They knew how to work hard and they knew how to have fun.
While some in my community made fun of the Amish, I never did, and neither did any of my friends. They have something special, that we all could learn from.
The mix of rural setting with a small town and some subdivisions 20 years ago was what made me fall in love with this community. Reminded me of the mix in southern Wayne County ... farmers, some towns like Shreve, and some subdivisions outside of Wooster in Wooster Township.
Well, folks, I don't think it is like that any more. And, our Amish-togetherness is long gone.
P.S. If you are ever in the small town of Apple Creek, go by the town hall named after my grandfather built by the Amish within a day to honor my grandfather after he passed away. Trust, teamwork and community.
By Mark W. Uher
