Honestly, I was just going to collect in one place all the information I'd been given from previous researchers in the family, source it, document it, and make copies for safe-keeping. Thinking that would take a couple of months or so (every family historian is at least cracking a smile at this point), I started out with a 14-day trial on a popular genealogy website. Of course, I must tritely say, the rest is history.
What keeps me going? I admit that I enjoy a good puzzle. It's the thrill of the conquest, the finding of that lost ancestor or record. And the stories. The human stories. I am no longer just a child of my parents, a grandchild of my grandparents. I am the product of so many lives lived, obstacles overcome, tragedies triumphed and celebrations commemorated. Were there a broken limb anywhere in my tree, I may not be here writing this. Any different twist to a branch and I could be a very different person.
I am a numbers person, very detailed. Doesn't it make sense there would be others like me in my tree? Where did my "bean-counter" mentality come from? I found a bookkeeper a couple of centuries back. I wonder if there are more. What about my looks? I've been told I look Finnish. How far back can I trace my blonde hair? Well, my father's family seem to have descended from Vikings that invaded England. Where else did my ancestors live? Hmm. It seems that nearly every line I trace goes back to Merry Ole England. Maybe something there should tell me why tea is my hot drink of choice. Though I've tried several times, I've never been able to learn to like coffee.
Next question: How soon did I hit my first "brick wall"? Very quickly. I'll tell you about her in my next post.
No comments:
Post a Comment