Reflection On Shakerism

Taking this class and learning about Shakerism proved to be one of the most rewarding experiences this year. Not only did it teach me about the people in my community, it taught me lessons about myself. Seeing this different lifestyle made me reflect on my own and I am grateful for that. These and many others reasons is why I am grateful for the opportunity to study at Shaker village. On the first day at the village, I expected the shakers to be very formal and serious. My predictions were quickly proven wrong as I realized what the Shakers were like in reality. Brother Arnold was fun to be around, not just as a teacher but more like a friend. I never expected to be making jokes while learning about the community. In retrospect, I think my expectations were a little unrealistic but in the …show more content…
Not only was it more engaging than sitting in class reading a book about it, Brother Arnold had very insightful and humorous stories that mad it seem alive. It was on those days that I could really imagine what it was like to be a Shaker many years ago. I think that visiting the village made the sites feel real and not just facts attached to dates. I think I improved as a person in my communication with others. Honestly it was a little scary being talking to someone with a completely different lifestyle than mine. Sometimes I can hardly talk to my peers let alone someone who I seemingly have nothing in common with. However the more we visited, the more I realized that I had more in common than I thought. It became easier to talk with the Shakers as we visited. This new experience really helped learn to communicate with other people so seemingly different. I think the the Shaker Studies program is important for many reasons. For one, learning outside of the classroom half the time really helps to make it a unique
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