Family history is, for most of us, a hobby or an avocation; for a few a profession. for a lot of us, an obsession.
But, it's not all fun and games; it's a lot of work. And, sometimes it means sadness and even anger, when you discover something that makes you react that way.
I've encountered facts about various families and individuals in my extensive family tree that have disappointed me, that have made me sad and that have angered me. I don't let those feelings linger; there's no point; it's all in the past, but it's a reminder that we humans are far from perfect, including our own family members.
One of the things I try to remember as I'm working away is that, by going through this process, I can, in a small way, honor the lives of my ancestors and relatives, especially those whose lives were very short or who had hard, difficult lives. A very recent revelation about one of my ancestors made me both sad and angry; sad for her and very angry with her family members; no point in going into the details; what good would it do.
I have found, in this research, the lives of individuals that are interesting and unique enough to inspire a novel. Some individual's lives are full of holes and gaps that make you stop and imagine what happened to them, where they went, how they ended up. Making that exercise can be the basis of a novel. Some family tales that have no documentation can lead to the same result.
I'm playing with those possibilities right now. There are at least three individuals whose lives could easily be fictionalized and turned into, at least a short story.
In any case, that's where my head is at the moment.
Next time, if I can get it together, I'll report on all the various projects I'm working on: the one name studies, the one place study, just general research, etc.
