Feature Friday // Josh Hostetler | Blogger

He’s only 29, but he has the sage wit and wisdom of someone twice his age. Perhaps it’s because Josh Hostetler, creator of Amish Hipster, has always looked at things with a different point of view.

 

Josh was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida, but his home life looked more like the Ohio Mennonite community where his parents were raised. “I guess growing up Mennonite would be similar to growing up in most very conservative evangelical homes,” he shares. “We only watched sports on TV. I was homeschooled until I was in sixth grade. I grew up with a strong work ethic. And I loved to read. When we’d visit my grandparents’ farm in Ohio, I would read all their Reader’s Digest magazines. I also loved to write – in cursive. I wasn’t much into journaling then, so I would practice writing by sending contest letters to local radio stations.”

 

As he worked each summer with his father, moving blocks at construction sites, Josh was introduced to a culture that would become a part of his calling and purpose.  “Our work teams consisted of two labor groups: Mennonites and Mexicans. I learned Spanish from my coworkers. They taught me about family, made me laugh, – they were like my brothers.” He saw similarities between the Mennonite and Mexican cultures. The men revered craftsmanship, and hard work was valued. “There was such passion in everything they did.”

 

Those summers of moving blocks also motivated Josh to take a nontraditional step in Mennonite culture. “My dad would say ‘you can either learn to work or you can go to college.’” Josh picked the latter, and attended the University of Florida to study Political Science and Spanish. He had visions of becoming Sam McCoy from Law & Order. “I realized pretty quickly that the television character didn’t at all represent what life as a lawyer was like. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew I didn’t want to move blocks. I wanted to do something more.”

 

That something more was teaching. After spending time in Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico working with the destitute poor, Josh found his home in Austin, Texas. “At first, teaching in Latin America was a way for me to live in a foreign land. But when I came back to the US, I was hungry for someone to fight for, something to believe in – to be able to stand in the gap for someone. I moved to Austin to do that.” In Austin, he worked in low-income schools, doing what he could to help his students thrive. He gave his cellphone number to parents, spent time before and after school tutoring and providing encouragement, and walking difficult paths with children who watched their parents struggle to provide for them.

 

“That’s why I chose teaching. I’m passionate about the immigrant population in the United States. I’ve been so blessed by the Latin American culture, and have such a deep appreciation for what I’ve learned about family and work.  Even though I’m not teaching this year, I will find a way to invest in caring for that community.”

 

Josh left teaching to reconnect with his childhood passion of writing. A computer replaced pen and paper as Josh introduced us all to Abe, the Amish Hipster.  “He is an Amish man who grew up in Ohio. He’s a little irreverent, a little pretentious, and slightly self-deprecating.” Abe lives in Austin, a land full of hipsters.  Abe steps into a different world, only to see how similar and different the two cultures really are.

 

Josh doesn’t remember the specific moment Amish Hipster was born. “Honestly, the idea just came to me – probably after seeing hipsters here in Austin who look like they’re Amish- the crazy long beards, and simple dress and attitude. The blog is a way for me to take a satirical view of the town I live in  – a town that prides itself on being different – and see the similarities.”

 

Josh doesn’t know what will happen to Abe down the road. But what he does know is that the Amish Hipster has given him a voice to address cultural challenges in an irreverent way. And now he wants to take things a step further.

“I’m ready now to start writing as Josh Hostetler – addressing some heart issues about our society. I might go a little political, might go a little spiritual. But I’ll be able to say things I can’t as the Amish Hipster. I’ve come from a lot. I lived in a very different culture growing up, have worked and served in areas wrecked by struggle. I’ve seen so much fighting. And I want to invite discussion that is respectful to both side but also lets people understand the differences.

 

“We alienate people we don’t agree with, rather than sit down with them and have a conversation. I want to invite that conversation. I want both sides to be able to listen, and in the process take a hard look at their personal views and learn to respect those who have views different than ours. We tend to filter our news, associate with those who have views similar to ours, and protect our ideology.  If we’re willing, we’ll see we have a lot more in common than we have differences.”

 

Josh smiles when he thinks about the risks he’s taken since joining the START Experiment. “I’ve really enjoyed the shared brotherhood and ability to find real community. Sometimes I’ll talk about the future with my peers and receive blank stares. The Start community has given me people who stand in my corner and encourage me. Even if writing doesn’t open the doors I want it to, I’ll be able to look back and know I tried. It was an experiment – and a good one at that. I’ll be proud of what I risked, and ready to try the next thing.”

 

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