Amish Roofers

[Ken]

Just because work is available doesn't mean you actually need hoard it beyond what you need to support yourself and your family. I could take on 2 or 3 extra jobs and spend my every waking life working. But that would make my life worse not better.

So I can respect someone who decides that going fishing with his friends or kids is more important than doing one more job for hire on a nice weekday in June for money he probably doesn't need.

Oh, I totally agree.

I'm just pushing back on the narrative that all Amish businessmen are some kind of "extra hard workers". Some of them tend to sit around in air-conditioned offices planning their next vacation whilst employees who are paid the minimum the market will bear. And I'm definitely pushing back on the narrative that a Lake Erie fishing vacation's purpose was to "feed their families".

I've been around fishing for much of my adult life and spent over a decade doing fisheries management in Alaska.

Outside of Alaska I have NEVER seen an instance where sportfishing was the cheaper option to put protein on the table compared to just buying food at the grocery. And in Alaska that really only applies to subsistence fishing in native communities where they use gillnets and such. Definitely not the typical sports fisherman with a $50,000 boat who burns through 20 gallons of fuel to catch 2 salmon.

Out here on the west coast, maybe the folks who dipnet smelt from the shorelines during the smelt runs are saving money on food. But they seem like mostly Vietnamese and Filipino fishermen these days.

I enjoy the challenge of fishing from time to time. But I have never deluded myself into thinking it was saving money on food.

[Valerie]

Just because work is available doesn't mean you actually need hoard it beyond what you need to support yourself and your family. I could take on 2 or 3 extra jobs and spend my every waking life working. But that would make my life worse not better.

So I can respect someone who decides that going fishing with his friends or kids is more important than doing one more job for hire on a nice weekday in June for money he probably doesn't need.

Oh, I totally agree.

I'm just pushing back on the narrative that all Amish businessmen are some kind of "extra hard workers". Some of them tend to sit around in air-conditioned offices planning their next vacation whilst employees who are paid the minimum the market will bear. And I'm definitely pushing back on the narrative that a Lake Erie fishing vacation's purpose was to "feed their families".

I've been around fishing for much of my adult life and spent over a decade doing fisheries management in Alaska.

Outside of Alaska I have NEVER seen an instance where sportfishing was the cheaper option to put protein on the table compared to just buying food at the grocery. And in Alaska that really only applies to subsistence fishing in native communities where they use gillnets and such. Definitely not the typical sports fisherman with a $50,000 boat who burns through 20 gallons of fuel to catch 2 salmon.

Out here on the west coast, maybe the folks who dipnet smelt from the shorelines during the smelt runs are saving money on food. But they seem like mostly Vietnamese and Filipino fishermen these days.

I enjoy the challenge of fishing from time to time. But I have never deluded myself into thinking it was saving money on food.

Well I agree.
In this case, which was all I brought up, the guy got a call inviting him to go fishing on Lake Erie which he accepted as long as I didn’t mind him not coming by for his payment. I am sure he didn’t do it to “save money” but catching 4 walleye would sure make me happy, our favorite fish around here.

My husband & son fished a lot- mostly shore but we had an inexpensive fish/ski boat that we enjoyed being out on the water and at times- got some meals out of it but for them it was sport.

This turned into a strange debate (as always)

[seinetsodumm]

An Amishman and I were discussing various affiliations, and with one in particular he described them as interested mostly in making a lot of money and then going boating on Lake Erie (in their boat they own, with their big truck they also effectively own) to the exclusion of spiritual things. Quite sad.

Interesting judgement from such a short story with so many details missing. You know, we must be careful as pointing fingers can also be done to the exclusion of spiritual things.

[JohnH]

An Amishman and I were discussing various affiliations, and with one in particular he described them as interested mostly in making a lot of money and then going boating on Lake Erie (in their boat they own, with their big truck they also effectively own) to the exclusion of spiritual things. Quite sad.

Interesting judgement from such a short story with so many details missing. You know, we must be careful as pointing fingers can also be done to the exclusion of spiritual things.

I don’t know the roofers involved or their affiliations. I was simply relating the viewpoint of more conservative Amish people on the worldly Amish who think Lake Erie fishing trips are a good use of time and money.

[Ken]

An Amishman and I were discussing various affiliations, and with one in particular he described them as interested mostly in making a lot of money and then going boating on Lake Erie (in their boat they own, with their big truck they also effectively own) to the exclusion of spiritual things. Quite sad.

Interesting judgement from such a short story with so many details missing. You know, we must be careful as pointing fingers can also be done to the exclusion of spiritual things.

I don’t know the roofers involved or their affiliations. I was simply relating the viewpoint of more conservative Amish people on the worldly Amish who think Lake Erie fishing trips are a good use of time and money.

Well, they are in good company. Up to seven of the 12 disciples were fishermen. None of them were roofers or farmers.

[JohnH]

Interesting judgement from such a short story with so many details missing. You know, we must be careful as pointing fingers can also be done to the exclusion of spiritual things.

I don’t know the roofers involved or their affiliations. I was simply relating the viewpoint of more conservative Amish people on the worldly Amish who think Lake Erie fishing trips are a good use of time and money.

Well, they are in good company. Up to seven of the 12 disciples were fishermen. None of them were roofers or farmers.

Presumably, 7 of them weren’t taking expensive fishing trips, but actually fished for a living.

[ohio jones]

Up to seven of the 12 disciples were fishermen. None of them were roofers or farmers.

We aren't told specifically, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of them did a bit of roofing work in Mark 2.