In recent years I’ve acquired increasing interest for my genealogy, interest near nonexistent only five years back but now quiet maniacal. And who knows what trajectory the state of mind might take in the forthcoming future?
Now I can’t say it doesn’t annoy me to sense near indifference in such pursuit across the majority of not only relatives engaged on the matter (not all by any means), but persons in my sphere of influence in general. «Of what concern is this person whom I’ve never met?» «Sometimes our neighbor is more familial than a blood relative.»
But does that indifference not reflect my own rapport so relatively not long back? Everyone is so incredibly busy and exhausted to much care for the estranged second cousin across the world, that great-grandparent of entirely obscure parentage, that whole generation spawned by a single great-uncle; not to mention make any effort in the said regard. Or that’s the perception, however misconstrued, that I’m projected.
But I’m okay being even the sole crusader, such the driving force to this enterprise, which is actually twofold:
One, the genuine curiosity, the yearning, the burning sensation to gather as much intel as conceivable on all family lines, going both back in time and spreading across the continents in the present. Perhaps even compound experience on the very science. Perfectly natural of genealogical research.
Two, this same enterprise has likewise acquired an intrinsic property. I’ve come to appreciate every bit I collect in and of itself: each name, each set of dates, the position and relation along the tree, and especially any set of archive photos I can lay my hands on; no differently than a collector of more arbitrary objects as jewelry, records, stamps, wine, ancient stones or miniature models.
Does that make sense? Do I adequately register my motivations? Or do factors more oblique factor into the exchange?
But matters as they stand, if we share a great or even a great-great grandparent, I’m entirely committed to knowing anything about you on that pretext alone, however contrived this may appear in the grand scheme.
While such a collection arguably serves a higher purpose to not only myself but any relative taking similar interest, in practice I feel myself playing a sort of detective, engaging relatives lacking the same enthusiasm, contrasting those collection hobbies largely independent of other human beings. Or maybe this is the time to dirty those hands, drill, pester, play the numbers, expand, survey, reiterate …
Questions, comments? Connect.