"That is Not Allowed..."

The year before my 30th birthday, in between marriages, and feeling quite the "liberated woman" in the early 1980's, I set off on a three-week rail journey across the country.  All my budget would afford was a reserved seat - and that was good enough for me! 

A week into my trip, I boarded the train at Chicago Union Station, and chose a seat by the window.  As we started to move, a young man took the spot next to me.  At first glance he looked like any other guy...then I took a longer look, as he introduced himself.  He held his straw hat in his lap, along with a brown paper lunch sack.  He wore broad-fall pants (no zipper, but a couple widely-spaced rows of buttons instead)  I learned he was a Mennonite fellow, on his way to meet some folks in Hammond, Indiana.  I asked many questions about his community and religion.

Then it was his turn to ask me questions.  It became evident that I represented to this young man all the things that a proper Mennonite woman is NOT.  With every revelation, he shifted in his seat a little farther away from me!  Here is what he saw:

• A young woman travelling ALONE
• A young woman who was DIVORCED
• A young woman wearing MAKEUP
• A young woman wearing JEANS
• A young woman who was EMPLOYED outside the home
• A young woman who worked for a PHOTOGRAPHY Studio
• I had a CAMERA (a very big one!)

He became more and more uncomfortable with each new detail, and after each he would slowly shake his head and say, "Oh . . that is not allowed."  The poor dear sat stock still for a while, then offered me a sandwich from his lunch sack.  I declined.  He stood up after a few more miles and excused himself to another car, telling me that there were some of his people back there. 

When we got to the Hammond station, there were many buggies waiting to meet some of the Mennonite passengers.  I watched my seat-mate greet some folks, then glance back at the train for a moment.  He no doubt had a tale or two to share about the city woman he met on the Chicago train.