Family History Among Friends

 

I've often wondered what responses I would receive if, at our local genealogical society meetings, I'd ask what drew a member into the search for the family's history. It could all start as an open-ended question, like: "I started researching my family's history because...." 

Or, "I started researching my family's history when...." 

Perhaps I could shake things up a bit by posing this version: "I started researching my family's history despite...."

No matter what version that question would take, the answers most certainly would be varied. If we began that family history journey of our own volition, each of us most certainly took our first step for a reason different than the others in our group. I've love to hear them all.

Yesterday, I did have the chance to hear from one fellow society member's perspective, and it was a fully enjoyable two-hour-long visit at a favorite coffee shop. What we don't know about each other—even long-standing members of the same organization—can turn out to be fascinating. I'm not sure why we never get to that point of sharing our own stories, but hopefully I can remedy that, at least for one small group. 

Though genealogy is often a solitary pursuit, sharing our victories—and research escapades—can do wonders for each of us, as well as help us encourage each other to keep at the chase. Who knows? Perhaps we will even discover a previously-unknown family connection with our fellow society members in the process.