>>> IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE
LIKE TO GROW UP IN A WORLD
CLOSED OFF FROM SOCIETY WITHOUT
MODERN CONVENIENCES LIKE
ELECTRICITY, RUNNING WATER OR
INDOOR PLUMBING.
FOR EMMA GINGRICH, THAFLS THE
ONLY LIFE SHE HAD KNOWN.
SHE GREW UP IN A STRICT AMISH
COMMUNITY, ONE OF 13 SIBLINGS,
UM ONE DAY SHE REALIZED, I AM
NOT CUT OUT FOR THIS.
SHE'S HERE IN A MOMENT, BUT
FIRST WATCH THIS.
>> THIS IS A YOUNG EMMA GINGRICH
WALKING WITH FIVE OF HER 13
SIBLINGS GROWING UP IN OHIO.
>> THE AMISH GROUP I CAME FROM
IS ONE OF THE LEAST MODERN
COMMUNITIES.
>> EMMA SAYS UNTIL SHE WAS 18
YEARS OLD EVERY DAY CONSISTED OF
WAKING UP, COOKING BREAKFAST FOR
HER FAMILY AND MILKING COWS.
>> JUST GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS,
DO THE CHORES.
>> SHE ADHERED TO STRICT
CLOTHING REQUIREMENTS, THE
COMMUNITY'S ELDERS KEEPING A
CLOSE EYE.
>> THE PLEATS IN THE BACK ARE
CORRECT AND CORRECT LENGTH.
IT HAS TO COME DOWN TO THE
ANKLE.
NOT TOO LONG AND NOT TOO SHORT.
>> WHILE BEING SURE HER HAIR
WASN'T VISIBLE BENEATH THE CAP
SHE WORE.
ONE OF THE HAPPIEST MEMORIES
DURING THAT TIME OF HER LIFE WAS
GOING TO SCHOOL.
BUT SHE SAYS EVEN THAT WAS BASIC
AND ENDED BY THE TIME SHE WAS
14.
>> WE LEARN HOW TO READ AND
WRITE.
MOST OF IT IS IN GERMAN.
WE HAVE THE MATH AND SPELLING,
BUT WE DON'T HAVE SCIENCE,
HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY AND THINGS
LIKE THAT.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE
WORLD IS FLAT AND YOU FALL OFF
THE EDGE IF YOU DO TOO FAR.
>> BY THE TIME SHE REACHED HER
TEENAGER YEARS, EMMA REALIZED
THE AMISH LIFESTYLE WAS NOT FOR
HER.
>> I REALIZED I AM JUST NOT CUT
OUT TO BE AMISH.
THERE
THERE WAS A LOT OF FEAR IN MY
LIFE.
FEAR I WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH, I
WASN'T PERFECT, I WAS DOING
SOMETHING WRONG.
YOU COULDN'T EVEN SMILE IN
CHURCH.
I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I'M GOING TO
LEAVE.
SOME WAY OR SOMEHOW I'M GOING TO
GET OUT OF HERE.
>> AND SHE DID.
JOINING ME NOW EMMA GINGRICH WHO
WROTE A BOOK ABOUT HER
EXPERIENCE "RUNAWAY AMISH
GIRL:THE GREAT ESCAPE."
EMMA, WELCOME.
CAN WE PICK IT UP WHERE THAT
PIECE TOUCHED ON THE EDUCATION.
YOU FINISHED AT AGE 14.
WAS THERE ANY EDUCATION ABOUT
LIKE THE NUMBER OF STATES, OUR
POLITICAL SYSTEM, ANYTHING?
>> NO EDUCATION ABOUT THAT.
>> DID YOU KNOW WE HAD 50
STATES?
>> NO.
>> DID YOU KNOW WHO THE
PRESIDENT WAS?
>> NO, I DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING.
>> WHAT YEAR DID YOU LEAVE?
>> IN 2006.
>> SO YOU DID NOT KNOW THAT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
WAS GEORGE BUSH.
>> NO, NEVER HEARD OF HIM.
NEVER HEARD OF A PRESIDENT.
>> OF ANY PRESIDENT.
>> YES.
>> DID YOU KNOW WHO GEORGE
WASHINGTON WAS?
>> NO.
I THOUGHT HE WAS SOMEBODY'S
GRANDFATHER.
I SAW A PICTURE AFTER I LEFT, I
SAW A PICTURE ON THE WALL AND I
THOUGHT IT WAS SOMEBODY'S
GRANDFATHER.
>> THAT IS UNBELIEVABLE.
SO THEY JUST SKIPPED THAT
ENTIRELY.
THERE WAS NO HISTORY TAUGHT TO
YOU.
>> NONE.
>> WHAT YEAR WERE YOU BORN?
>> '87.
SO WHEN 911 HAPPENED YOU WERE
LIKE 12, 13 AROUND THERE, DOING
MY MATH.
>> YEAH.
>> WERE YOU AWARE OF THAT?
DID YOU KNOW?
>> I THINK YEARS LATER I HEARD
ABOUT IT BEFORE I LEFT THE
AMISH.
BUT I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS
SOMETHING THAT GOD DID.
>> WOW.
>> THAT'S WHAT --
>> IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENDOOR
PLUMBING, YOU DON'T HAVE A TV.
THERE'S NO ELECTRONICS AT ALL
ALLOWED.
>> NO.
>> NO LIGHT SWITCHES.
>> NO LIGHT, NO.
>> WHAT DID YOU DO FOR LIGHT
WHEN YOU WANTED TO READ, WHEN
YOU WANTED TO EAT?
>> LIGHT A KEROSENE LAMP.
>> WOW.
>> WHAT ABOUT -- SO WHAT
LANGUAGE DID YOU SPEAK?
>> GERMAN, MIXTURE OF DUTCH.
THEY CALL IT PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH.
>> ANY ENGLISH AT ALL?
>> WE LEARNED A LITTLE BIT OF
ENGLISH IN SCHOOL LIKE YES AND
NO AND MAKE SENTENCES.
LIKE THE TEACHER WOULD PROVIDE A
WORD AND WE WOULD WRITE A
SENTENCE, MAKE A SENTENCE OUT OF
IT.
>> SO YOU HAD SOME ABILITY TO
COMMUNICATE WITH THE OUTSIDE
WORLD.
>> SOME.
WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO USE
ENGLISH AT HOME OR AT SCHOOL.
JUST LEARN IT BUT THEN LEAVE IT.
>> EVERYTHING WAS INCREDIBLY
CONTROLLED.
>> VERY CONTROLLED.
>> WHEN I READ YOUR STORY, ONE
OF MY MAIN QUESTIONS WAS DID YOU
HAVE JOY IN YOUR LIFE?
EVERYTHING SEEMED SO REGIMENTED.
>> NO.
I DON'T REMEMBER EVER HAVING JOY
GROWING UP.
THERE WAS NOTHING THAT I LOOKED
FORWARD TO.
>> WOW.
SO HOW DO YOU GET OUT OF A
COMMUNITY LIKE THAT, WHERE
EVERYONE YOU KNOW IS IN IT, YOUR
LANGUAGE SKILLS ARE NOT SET UP
FOR LIFE IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
YOU HAVE NO MODERN DAY
KNOWLEDGE?
WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO EMMA NEXT
ABOUT WHAT SHE
>>> WE'RE BACK WITH EMMA
GINGRICH WHO WAS A MEMBER OF ONE
OF THE STRICTEST AMISH
COMMUNITIES UNTIL SHE TURNED 18
AND LEFT TO MAKE A LIFE FOR
HERSELF.
ONE OF THE UNUSUAL PROTOCOLS IN
YOUR COMMUNITY WAS THE DATING
RITUAL.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT?
>> OH, MAN, DATING WAS WEIRD.
THEY DO THE BED COURTSHIP.
>> BED COURTSHIP?
WHAT'S THAT?
>> A GROUP OF GUYS WILL PICK OUT
ONE PERSON, ONE GUY, AND ASK HIM
IF HE WANTS TO GO ON A DATE WITH
A GIRL.
THEY WILL PICK OUT THE GIRL,
TOO.
THEN THEY WILL TAKE HIM TO THE
GIRL'S HOUSE, UPSTAIRS TO HER
ROOM AND WAKE HER UP.
THIS IS ON A SATURDAY NIGHT FROM
11:00 P.M. TO 4:00 A.M.
>> SO THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
SOMEBODY SHOWS UP IN YOUR
BEDROOM.
>> YEAH.
>> THEN WHAT HAPPENS?
>> THEY ASK THE GIRL IF SHE
WANTS TO HAVE A DATE WITH THE
GUY.
>> LIKE RIGHT NOW.
>> YES.
>> IF YOU SAY YES, WHAT HAPPENS
NEXT?
>> THEY LEAVE THE GUY THERE, AND
HE STAYS IN THE ROOM.
>> WHOA.
>> WHOA IS RIGHT.
WHOA, HEY, HOW ARE YOU DOIN'?
IS THERE SEXUAL ACTIVITY?
>> NO.
>> WHAT DO YOU DO?
>> THERE'S NO -- TALK OR GO TO
SLEEP.
BUT FOR ME I NEVER TALKED.
I JUST LAID THERE.
>> SO A MAN, A YOUNG MAN WOULD
GET IN YOUR BED IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE NIGHT AND YOU WOULD LIE
THERE NEXT TO EACH OTHER.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE MORNING?
>> HE GETS UP BEFORE THE FAMILY
SO HE'S NOT SEEN.
>> EVEN THOUGH IT'S WITH THE
FAMILY'S BLESSING?
>> YES.
>> THEN DO YOU EVER SPEAK?
THERE IS EVER ANY LIKE, I'M A
SCORPIO.
>> NO.
WHEN I WAS AMISH, I DIDN'T TALK.
I WAITED FOR THE MAN TO SAY
SOMETHING BUT MEN ARE SHY, TOO,
SOMETIMES.
>> WHAT AGE DO YOU GET MARRIED?
>> AROUND 19, 20.
>> IS THAT THE COURTSHIP?
>> YES.
SO EVERY TWO WEEKS THEY HAVE
COURTSHIP.
IT'S A RULE.
THEY HAVE --
>> EVERY TWO WEEKS HE COMES BACK
AND THERE'S SILENCE IN THE BED.
IT'S HARD TO GET YOUR ARMS
AROUND.
I LOVE THE LINE, BEING AMISH IS
NOT FOR ME YOU REALIZED.
WAS IT THE INDOOR PLUMBING THAT
DID IT?
FOR MOST OF US, THAT WOULD BE
THE DEAL BREAKER.
I CAN'T KEEP DOING THIS.
>> I COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT
INDOOR PLUMBING BUT THE DATING
AND ALL THE RULES.
>> THE ABSENCE OF JOY.
>> NO JOY.
NOTHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
>> SO HOW -- YOU GOT YOUR SELF
OUT?
IS IT TRUE YOU JUST WALKED OUT
ONE DAY WITH THE CLOTHES ON YOUR
BACK?
>> YES.
I WOKE UP AND I REALIZED, THIS
IS THE DAY.
I WROTE A NOTE, WALKED OUT THE
DOOR, RAN BEHIND THE SHOP
THROUGH A FIELD AND TO A
FRIEND'S.
I WAS ON THE ROAD AND WALKED TO
THE NEAREST TOWN.
>> I KNOW YOU WENT ON TO GET
YOUR GED, COLLEGE DEGREE AND
MBA, NOT TO MENTION LEARNING
ENGLISH.
WHAT'S BEEN THE MOST DIFFICULT
THING ABOUT ADJUSTING TO LIFE ON
THE OUTSIDE?
>> ADJUSTING TO LIFE OUTSIDE
BECAUSE DIFFICULT BECAUSE EVEN
THOUGH I WAS DRESSED ENGLISH
THEN, I STILL FELT AMISH.
I FELT LIKE WHEN I WOULD DO OUT,
PEOPLE WOULD BE MAKING FUN OF ME
SAYING, SHE USED TO BE AMISH,
WHATEVER, BECAUSE I EXPERIENCED
THAT A LOT WHEN I WAS AMISH.
>> WAS THERE ONE BIG SHOCK ABOUT
A MODERN CONVENIENCE WHEN YOU
GOT OUT?
>> WEARING -- PEOPLE WEARING
CONTACT LENSES FREAKED ME OUT.
>> WOW.
>> BECAUSE YOU ONLY WEAR
GLASSES.
>> I WEAR THEM NOW, TOO.
>> THEY ARE AWESOME.
>> THEY ARE AWESOME, YES.
>> I KNOW YOUR FAMILY HAVE NOT
WELCOMED YOU.
YOU DON'T HAVE AN ONGOING
RELATIONSHIP RIGHT NOW.
>> NO, I DON'T.
>> DO YOU FEEL HOPEFUL YOU MIGHT
IN THE FUTURE?
>> JUST KIND OF LEFT IT.
IF I DO, IT'S GREAT.
IF NOT, I'VE ACCEPTED THAT THEY
MAKE THEIR CHOICE, TOO.
>> ALL THE BEST TO YOU.