OK, I have been updating my tips for the 21st century but think I'm going to leave this one just as it was written. My son wanted to know WHEN I wrote this - C'mon, Mom - VCRs??!!!
Well, those are my suggestions for how to START a family history. You’ll find a way that makes you comfortable after awhile. Remember, unless you work your line right back to Adam and Eve, a genealogy is never finished. Some other pieces of wisdom:
Tell your kids you love them.
Take a wet, cold day, fix a cup of tea, put an old movie in the VCR, and sit and start writing on the back of those old pictures.
Come home from the film development lab, look at the pictures you took on vacation last week, put an old movie in the VCR, and sit and write on the back of your pictures.
No one will think less of you or your family if your great-great-great-grandfather had an illegitimate child. I’m sure he didn’t do it to embarrass you. Don’t let things that happened a long time ago upset you. And try not to be judgmental of others, whether they lived 200 years ago or if it’s that “funny uncle” down the street.
You will meet a lot of wonderful, intelligent, funny people as you work on your family history. Be prepared to “meet” distant cousins on-line but please use common sense if someone seeks too much personal information or wants to come visit you at home the day after “finding” you. Also remember you may not mind the world knowing when you were born but you don’t have to share all the latest about the grandkids with strangers, either. The same goes for current pictures. I could do a whole series on "Does Facebook reveal too much information?" but will leave that to others...
Have fun with your genealogy. It can be exciting, addicting, frustrating, boring, fascinating, and exhilarating, and that’s all before lunch! I think genealogy is the most wonderful hobby in the world and it most certainly keeps your brain active, keeps you in touch with your relatives, and helps you decide where to go for vacation. But it is not a matter of life-or-death if that county clerk doesn’t mail your ancestor’s marriage certificate today. Remember to keep it in perspective….it’s only a hobby, it’s only a hobby, it’s only a hobby...
Please feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think about my tips and suggestions!
The Family Tree Hunter
Love this. I found you through Ancestorville and missed the live chat but have gathered alot of information from the post. Thanks so much for keeping it simple and easy to understand.
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