Don't you hate it when you say something like "My great uncle was in World War One...." and you trail off because you see the other person's eyes lose focus like they're rapidly losing the will to live?
What's so boring about men fighting in Gallipoli, I ask you? To me, that story is much more interesting than my friend's latest snapchat photo of a meal that somebody else made for them. Why is my family story more boring than their meal which they won't remember two days from now?
The truth is harsh. People are more interested in their meal because it involves THEM. My family story doesn't. So they are listening to me out of politeness. That's nice; I thank you. The trouble is, I don't want their polite reception of my treasured information. I want excitement, enthusiasm and interest! I want input and insightful critical thinking and a deep involvement from the other person. Is this too much to ask for?
The answer is yes, depending on the person.
The answer is also no, depending on the person.
Each person is different and everyone has different interests; I get that. So I no longer try to include those people who are politely asking out of duty. Thank you, but no. In this massively important portion of my life, I only want a best effort. And if your best effort is politeness, and your eyes are glazing over, I won't inflict it on you any more, I promise.
So now I seek out those people with whom I share that all consuming passion called genealogy. I want to share with passionately excited people who love what they do and love the stories they find. And I'll share my stories too.
Historically yours,
Valerius Copernicus
No comments:
Post a Comment