Steps

Genealogy is such a strange obsession, if that is the right word.   It has nagged at me for more than thirty-five years.   If I am to move on with my life, I need to put projects like my need to record my family history to bed so that I can clear my brain for other stuff.  It is not quite so easy though.  I know I need to knuckle down and get going.  And that is exactly what I had planned to do for the last couple of days, but instead, I have procrastinated.  

First of all I need to figure just why I am going to all this trouble.  I have collected four or five large boxes of material over a long period of time - notes, letters, research, photographs, film - and they are totally disorganized.   I am not a Mormon.  I don't think I will obtain a higher seat in heaven if I can find my ancestors and convert them.  Neither my children or my extended family has any particular interest in anyone but our immediate relatives.   I don't have grandchildren and, at this stage, probably won't have any so I am not doing it for posterity.   The stories that float around about our family origins are much more interesting than any of the factual information I have managed to find. There are no huge skeletons and only a few tenuous links to the rich and famous.  And, with the advances in genome testing, we will probably be able to find out anything we want to know about our ancestors by providing a lab with a sample of our spit within a couple of years.  Yet, I still have this strange urge to pursue this.  

If I do invest my time and effort into this, what is the best route - scrap-booking - an interactive web site - a family tree program (and if so, which one) - or a book of stories?   Do I just concentrate on the most interesting branches or do I include all the boring and mundane as well?  How much of the myth and legend should be included.  

I need to get started - take that first small step.  But how????

I took a lot of big steps this weekend - from Granville Island to Jericho Beach.  It was a good day for walking as the rains stayed away and with a low tide, we managed to walk the whole way along the water.  

Both photos taken along beach in the tidal area

Feb/09