A PERSONAL LOOK AT GENEALOGY

When I tell others not involved in genealogy that I enjoy tracing my ancestors, they think that I am doing it for some narcissistic reason such as trying to prove I am a direct descendent of Queen Elizabeth the I or Attila the Hun, or some such nonsense.

But they are way off the mark. Genealogy has allowed me to pursue some of my other passions - history, geography, sociology, and psychology. My attention tends to become scattered, but within the field of genealogy I can bring them all into line.

History and geography need no explanation for genealogists. Sociology is a little more subtle. My ancestors came from a culture that existed in a different time and place than my own. Bits and pieces of that long ago culture still exist in my family's traditions. My mother tells stories from a past era, when life moved at a different pace. I have old letters written to my grandmother. In some way they sound quaint, but in another they reveal the same emotions we feel today.

This leads to my other passion, psychology. The debate still rages between nature vs. nurture. Whatever the outcome, I am the inheritor of my past. I carry it my genetic makeup that has come down from my ancestors. I have grown within an environment that was influenced by the movements and actions of my progenitors. As I begin to understand them, I understand myself a little better. I can become freer in my choices when I know what I can change and what I cannot change. Genealogy also fuels my other passion. Writing fiction. As I trace their lives, I invent imaginative stories of what might have been. My creative imagination is fueled as I try to peek into their lives, weaving fact with fiction.

Each genealogist is an individual. Your reasons and rewards may be very different. But, we know they aren't the reasons that others imagine. I would love to hear your personal view of genealogy. Please, join the discussion below and share your thoughts with other readers.

HOT TIP OF THE WEEK: At David Podmajersky's site The Amateur Genealogy Homepage-List of Ships Passengers, you will find an extensive listing of immigrant passengers. Maybe you will find your ancestor there.

Next week: Untangling the web of family relationships. What is a cousin once removed?

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