ELMER'S IN TROUBLE AGAIN REGARDING COURTING BUGGIES

Someone said that their Amish friends have never heard of a courting buggy and would like information about our courting buggies.  Anna said she would like me to answer that question.  I said we don't have courting buggies.  Anna said she knew that, but I didn't.  I asked what gave her that idea.  She said because I had mentioned courting buggies in some of my posts.

Before we give our posts, we either type on a manual typewriter or write them out in long hand.  It makes it easier when we are on the telephone giving the post to Marilyn.  Of course, sometimes we revise, add or subtract or change something a bit.  But all in all the post is what is on the paper.  Anna keeps all these papers so we can look through and see what posts we have already given.  Sort to stop us from repeating ourselves.

So when I said I didn't mention courting buggy, Anna got out the papers and pointed out where I said courting buggy and sure enough I said courting buggy in more than one post.  I told her what I said was not what I meant or maybe what I meant was not what I said.  She said that people believe we have special courting buggies, which we don't.

So I told her what I meant by a courting buggy.  When a man and a woman have been seeing each other and have decided to start courting - they are a courting couple.  Many times they are going on rides or to places in a buggy.  That is what I called a courting buggy.  A buggy that contains a man and woman who are courting.  That does not mean it is a special buggy.  It is just a buggy containing two people who are courting.

Anna, now really thinks I've lost it.  She said she never heard of such a thing, but being married to me as long as she has - she understands.  But other people don't.  She brought up about John and Sarah having a courting buggy before they married.  Anna said in other words it was a plain buggy until they got in it, when they were courting, then it became a courting buggy.  I told her yes, that's what I meant.  Anna said people will never understand that.

I told her, I guess it goes back to when we were courting age.  My Father would say there are Elmer and Anna (or whatever of my brothers or sisters) courting in that buggy. What he really meant was that I was taking you courting in one of our buggies.  So I got to shortening it to courting buggy.   Anna said I never told her that.  I said the subject never came up before.

So I asked Anna, how do I explain this to you.  Anna said she would take care of it.

ANNA

We don't have special courting buggies.  We never did.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer and Anna