This epiphany came
to me this morning as I was driving to work ; although it shouldn't have come
as a surprise. All the signs were
there, but this morning really confirmed that I had, well . . . a problem. LOL!
I am on the verge of
becoming a senior citizen, so it shouldn't be a surprise to many that
Information Technology (IT) and 21st century toys, gadgets and software are
foreign to me. To be honest they are
scary!! So, here is my progression into
addiction:
- 2003: Became a World Explorer subscriber to ancestry.com
- September 2012: Purchased a brand spankin' new laptop - one that I didn't / wouldn't share with anyone
- October 2012: Purchased 2012 Family Tree Maker
- October 2012: Purchased an ipad. Had to have it; how else was I going to have the ancestry.com app whenever I was on the go?
- February 2013: Immersed myself in ancestry.com video tutorials - LOVE! Crista Cowan
- 17 February 2013: Created Ancestor FaceBook Page(s) - I have 2 and plan more
- 23 February 2013: Created FAMILY PRESERVES; a Family History Blog
- 28 March 2013: Watched Introduction to OneNote for Genealogists by Brian Bouchard (Paperless Genealogy Blog)
- TODAY, 29 March 2013: Created my very first Hyper Link J
- Insomnia - ancestors keeping you up at night
- Working on your family tree and research every at EVERY moment that you are NOT working on something else
- Thinking about . . . your ancestors; your brick walls; your latest research endeavor; how to improve your research for optimum success
- Obsessing over when the next ancestry.com webinar / YouTube Tutorial will be broadcast; 'jonesing' for more tips and tricks. I want, NO! I NEED more Crista Cowan
- On arriving home; I go to the mailbox, DIRECTLY to the mailbox - do not pass go; do not collect $200.00 - looking for the latest records that I sent off for. IF they aren't there, I immediately go through something akin to 'crashing!' Have you ever seen an addict pitch a 'royal' temper tantrum? LOL!
- Talking about your ancestry, your family history blog, etc., etc. with your co-workers throughout the day
- When you've shared (read 'spread') the addiction to your co-works - because they now come to you to ask . . .
- What's your latest blog topic?
- Send me the link to your blog; I've been sharing your stories with my Mom
- I am having trouble finding . . . any suggestions?
- And today, I IMMEDIATELY thought . . . "I have to blog about this" when I missed taking the exit that I take every day to get to work. But, today, I was forced to drive over a bridge and through a tunnel - no place to turn around - why? Because I was thinking . . .
- How much fun I had setting up OneNote for my family history research
- How amazing it has been that I have taken the plunge into the 21st century - learning to use its technology to improve my family history research strategy and to optimize and experience a successful outcome
Seriously! Are there 12 Step Programs for this? LOL!
The final sign is
when your two sons; 'generation Y,' are surprised by your use of toys and
gadgets from the new century, but applaud your efforts and are proud that you
are still learning and growing.
So, I missed an
exit; YES, I have an
addiction, but if that is the worst that can be said about me, I am okay with
it. I am much more concerned that my
sons learn about the importance of family, heritage and history. And, besides, they are starting to catch
the addiction . . . The more the merrier!!
Any other 'addicts'
out there who want to publicly acknowledge their addiction? I am not alone, right? Share your stories.
I'm a blog label! How fun is that?! Tracy, this post cracked me up (and not just because you referenced me two or three times). I find it funny because it is so very true! I am OBSESSED with genealogy and family history. And, I've discovered that it doesn't even have to be my own.
ReplyDeleteGreat work, Tracy! Keep up the blogging and the genealogy research and the new technology discoveries. But, maybe pay a little more attention to your driving! ;-)
LOL! Crista. I am so glad that you enjoyed it.
DeleteGreat story...near and dear to my heart!! I'll do you one better though...I started doing Family Trees for Friends!! When I would get stumped and could not find the little nugget that will move you forward on my own Family Tree, I would proposition co-workers!!
ReplyDelete"Would you like me to see what I can find on your Family Tree?"
Little did they know, they were adding to my addiction!! At one point I had 24 different trees on Ancestry!! OMG what am I doing!?!
I was living my life in the past! My past, their past, maybe your past!! I am weaning myself off some of the trees! Two of them have been taken over by their "parents" who originally wanted just a bit of info...but I still have 6-8 online! Of course, I kept my own and a couple "juicy" mysterys from other trees! But like you say, I do spend all my time searching when I'm not doing other things....but then I try to make sure there are no "other things" to do!!
Keep up the blog!! It's fun to know I'm not the only one out there!
OMG! Joan, you sure do have me beat. Thank you for sharing your story and I am glad you enjoyed the blog. Have fun climbin all the family trees!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great post Tracy. I saw a lot of myself in this post. I'll hop onto the computer, planning to research only an hour or two on one person, then 10 hours later, I'm on like my 5 ancestor or something. I get so lost in it and lose track of time. Can't tell you how many times I have stayed up til the wee hours of the morning.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame my sister isn't too interested or my niece. I keep reporting my finds to my parents. I'm surprised they haven't started rolling their eyes at me. I've also just started getting into contact with cousins for information. It's a shame all my grandparents are dead, and I wish I had thought of asking questions when they were still alive.
I too have recently started a blog about my genealogy research, and am also thinking of starting some family facebook pages for my 4 main lines.
Anyway I look forward to reading more from you.
Betsy, thank you for your comments; I am still getting used to folks reading my posts and I love hearing from the readers. The feedback has been receptive and I am so glad people are enjoying them.
DeleteKeep sharing your stories and discoveries with your family. No one, save my immediate family is too interestested in ancestry, but I have discovered that the more I share with them about my research and what I have been able to find, the more they are beginning to open up and tell me more about their grandparents (my great grandparents) and their memories.
You mentioned you recently started a blog; would you mind sharing the link? I would love to read it. Happy blogging and I hope you'll visit me here again.