Let's face it, I have got the "pox". I am addicted to genealogy. I have trouble remembering to take out the trash, but I can recite the names, birth dates and death dates for each of my 16 great-great-grandparents. I know more about someone who died in 1816 than I do about my sister's children.
How do you know when you have the Genealogy Pox? Read the following warning extracted from the archives of the ROOTS-L mailing list:
WARNING: Genealogy Pox (Very contagious to adults)
SYMPTOMS: Continual complaint as to need for names, dates, and places. Patient has a blank expression, sometimes deaf to spouse and children. Has no taste for work of any kind, except feverishly looking through records at libraries and courthouses. Has compulsion to write letters. Swears at mailman when he doesn't leave mail. Frequents strange places such as cemeteries, ruins, and remote, desolate country areas. Makes secret night calls, hides phone bills from spouse and mumbles to self. Has strange, faraway look in eyes.
NO KNOWN CURE!TREATMENT: Medication is useless. Disease is not fatal, but gets progressively worse. Patient should attend genealogy workshops, subscribe to genealogical magazines and be given a quiet corner in the house where he or she can be alone.
REMARKS: The unusual nature of this disease is that the sicker the patient gets, the more he or she enjoys it!
Yes, that's me, I definitely have the "pox". There are four kinds of folks, beginning with the letter "G", who enjoy hanging out in cemeteries: grave-diggers, grave-robbers, ghosts, and genealogists.
All I want for Christmas is a microfilm reader. Okay, I also want membership subscriptions to four genealogy societies and two historical societies, and a roll of quarters to pay for parking at the downtown library. A Winnebago would be nice for out-of-town research trips ...
According to the National Genealogical Society (NGS), people research their family history for many reasons, including:
To satisfy an inherent desire to know "Who Am I?" and "Where Did I Come From?"
To establish the roots of family history and create a sense of personal pride and understanding
To bridge generation gaps through communication and exploration
To educate young people by bringing history to life
To extend and connect family units which have been fragmented and separated
To leave a family history legacy for future generations
To gain knowledge, have fun, and meet other people with similar interests
The NGS also states that personal satisfaction and employment opportunities exist for both amateur and professional family researchers in the following areas:
Doing family history research
Doing genetic research
Doing heirship research
Doing background research for authors and film makers
Assisting others in locating unidentified or missing family members, e.g., adoptees
Serving as expert court witnesses in connection with the establishment of family relationships
That's for me. When I grow up, I want to be a professional genealogist.
If you're like me, I suggest that before you quit your job and hang out your shingle as a professional genealogist, consider this:
As popular as genealogy is, it is very rare that you'd find a successful professional genealogist, only a very small percentage of those active in this field make a living based on it. Despite the use of scientific methods, detailed research, and standardized reporting; genealogy is still considered more of a hobby than a science.
I may have to satisfy my cravings by sneaking off to the library on my lunch hour, spending my evenings wandering through cemeteries with a flashlight, and using my weekends to write an occasional article for you on my favorite subject.
