I enjoyed a chat with journalist Helen Morris of CanWest the other day and was quoted in an article that appeared yesterday.
Canadians have no idea where they came from, survey says
Ms. Morris asked me about the dangers of discovering skeletons in the closet and here's the gist of my response:
Of course when you start your search you never know what you might find. But Megan Smolenyak, chief family historian for ancestry.ca said while in the past you might have people searching for connections to royalty, "nowadays the exchange rate for bragging rights is one royalty equals two rebels or rogues. A rebel is almost as good as a prince in some places. Half the fun is finding those secrets."
Many who aren't into genealogy (and even some who are -- check out this recent posting) still have an outdated notion that we're all in it for bragging rights. I try to get across the point that there's been a democratization in genealogy and that we're all out for the truth, the thrill of the hunt, and the stories. I try to explain that most of us enjoy a horse thief in the family tree as as much as a Charlemagne connection.
So my question is -- do you agree? And if so, what do you think the genealogical exchange rate is?
Comments (1)
I do genealogical research for a myriad of reasons: self-discovery (I believe my family's history has shaped who I am); love of history; sharpening my skills of deduction (genealogy is the ultimate of puzzle-solving "games"); interacting with other relatives; the thrills of hard work paying off; and even--and especially--the fun of discovering the black sheep in the family.
My biggest black sheep find was googling the name of my 4th-great-grandfather, Uzza Robbins, and discovering this website: http://www.paintedhills.org/Most_Wanted/UZZA.htm
His story had never been passed down in our oral or written family histories, probably due to shame. I found it amazing, interesting, and fascinating!
While I have connections to royalty (including Princess Diana--ho hum), I'd take ol' Uzza over royalty any day. In my opinion, the exchange rate of rebels to royalty is more like 10 to one!
Posted by Miriam Robbins Midkiff | December 2, 2007 5:52 PM
Posted on December 2, 2007 17:52