People of the Amish faith are known for living quiet, humble lives that are devoted to God and that avoid modern conveniences such as cars. Behavior is tightly controlled.

But when an Amish youth turns 16, he or she is allowed to have a period of time called "rumspringa quot;, which gives them the freedom to experience the life of the outside, "English" world. That can include experimentation with alcohol, drugs, and sex, and staying out all weekend long.

The idea is to give the young people the opportunity to see what life is like outside the tight-knit Amish community, and give them the choice after rumspringa to join the Amish church for life or leave the community permanently.

One acclaimed look at rumspringa is the movie Devil's Playground, a documentary by filmmaker Lucy Walker.

Another is a book by Tom Shachtman called Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish. This book grew out of research done for Devil's Playground.

What does the word "rumspringa" mean? According to a story I read on the topic, it is the Pennsylvania Dutch word for "running around."