a thing of value

  A member of my extended family, isn't that what you call in-laws, sent me a newspaper article he had stumbled upon. This article concerned his grandfather. It wasn't a very flattering article, in fact, quite the opposite. He had been incarcerated for lack of funds to pay a fine. The offense he had committed was domestic battery. He had been arguing with his wife after drinking a bit of alcohol. Well, as often happens irrational actions took place and he was subsequently arrested. They went to bed and according to his wife he used both of his feet to kick her out of bed! The police were called and he was taken into custody. The fine was fifty dollars. That was quite a sum in 1937. That is about 1100 dollars today, plus the cost of the court. It didn't say how long he was in for though. 

  I wrote back to this family member mentioning that it was a part of the secret lives of grandparents. We all have our secret lives, although I believe it is getting far more difficult to keep a secret these days. Transparency is the watchword today and people are continuously being called out on that. What was called mud slinging is now simply transparency. My grandmother would say it isn't nice to speak ill of the dead and if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all. Being known as a gossip wasn't a good thing either. It was the same as being an informant! You didn't want to be a rat. Today is it viewed as a personal right to know the business of everyone else. 

  I have done a lot of looking in old newspapers and such while working on the family tree. I have discovered a few secrets along the way. Some of them are not very flattering at all. In fact, the majority of what you find in the news for us common people is that way. The little people only make the news when it is something sensational. The news, and the reporting of it, hasn't changed all that much over the years. The real objective is to sell the paper, or in more modern times, watch that particular station. It's about revenue not information. I did smile as I read about some misadventures of my ancestors.

  Of course not all secrets are bad things, just the best things. It is one of those funny things. We like to hear about the bad because it somehow makes us feel better about ourselves. I didn't do that. I have read good stories, positive things concerning my ancestors. Stories about receiving an award, or accomplishing some feat, tales of bravery and courage.

  Being the common man though there are none I can hitch my wagon too. Having a famous ancestor can be a benefit. Today the objective appears to be to find an ancestor that was mistreated and seek compensation for that. But I'm just thinking about those everyday secrets we all tend to keep. Our parents had secrets, our grandparents had secrets and so forth. I have considered writing my book of secrets to be shared only after my passing. But then why taint a legacy? It would be like finding out there is no Santa Claus. A big disappointment. Secrets are meant to be kept, not shared. I'll be keeping mine, at least for now. But you never know when the sharing of a secret may provide you a benefit. That's when we share them. They are only of value until they are discovered. They are the only thing of value you can take with you. Once shared, they are not a secret anymore.