Connections

I developed an interest in genealogy some time back. Wish I had had this interest earlier in life when more of the old timers were still around. When you are young you don't always appreciate what you have. n my Grandparents was a a vast storehouse of knowledge. Names and places you can find in a book but the real stories are often lost. Nevertheless ,I, like thousands of others am trying to piece together my history. At least as far as ancestors go. I have yet to find any real surprises. No pirates,rum runners or famous people. Just your ordinary every day run of the mill people. The closest thing I have found is a couple of round the world whalers in the family. None sailed with Ahab after the great white one though. They did make seven trips around the horn.
I've been at this endeavour for years now. My wife has little interest in this hobby of mine. In fact, I haven't found anyone in the immediate family that takes an interest. That's ok with me. They all have their pursuits which I don't particularly take an interest in. That is what make us individuals after all.
I also spend a bit of time on facebook. A new group was recently formed called Hometown Connect. I am really enjoying this group. We all come from the same hometown but are now spread out across the country. We are planning our fortieth year high school class reunion. People sure do move around in forty years. Just yesterday though one of these people mentioned she would like to know who a certain relative of hers was.
I went to my family tree and, bang, there it was. Being from a small town ,that was somewhat isolated years ago, the core families are mostly related in some fashion. The person she was inquiring about was my 2nd cousin three times removed. Sounds distant and it is but nonetheless the relationship exists. I was thrilled to share that information with someone ! That's what I'm talking about ! At last my research has helped someone else discover their roots. It is a pleasure to share and connect.
There are so many connections that we are unaware of. I think if more of us were aware of these connections it would make the communities a lot closer. That may be part of the reason for some of the trouble in society today. A loss of connection. I want to not just know the names but discover the person. It is difficult because records can be misleading. Still with patience you can discover clues.
Funny though, with the interest I have I still haven't watched an episode of that new show where they discover roots of famous people. I'm always too busy doing something else. Besides that I not one for watching professionals with an unlimited budget do things. I can't relate to that. I mean it is like watching Bob Villa do something. Duh yeah, if I had one hundred thousand dollars worth of tools and equipment,a staff to set the equipment up for me and a budget of several thousand dollars I could build that cabinet too. It's not realistic to me.
The Internet with all its' resources is indispensable to me. I only pay for one website. It is an affordable hobby. If I still lived in my hometown they have a wonderful library that contains tons of genealogical information. Hoping to stop in there someday. Of course if I went on vacation I don't think my wife wants to spend it at the library. OMG, I've become a geek.