If there's one thing that people should know about me, it's that my interests are all over the place. You'll never know what to expect on my blog (until you do). one post, I'll be talking about space; the next, I'll be talking about my favourite type of cake.
You've been warned.
So, today's topic is one of my favourites: genealogy.
I love genealogy. I've been fascinated by it ever since I was a little kid and when I was seventeen, I finally took some initiative and began making a family tree. (I highly recommend http://familysearch.org and http://www.rootsweb.comThey are both great places to start off.)
To me, there's always been something neat about knowing where you come from. Some people want to forget where they came from, but where you come from, whether you're willing to accept it or not, is an important part about who you are.
Which brings me to a point I want to make to all the Americans out there: Your nationality is American; your ethnicity/"heritage" is NOT. Ergo, if your last name is O'Keife, your mother's last name is O'Hara, and her mother's last name was Connolly, then it's safe to say that you are IRISH. So, when asked "What's your heritage?", don't say "I'm an Am-er-cin"; Say that you are "Irish" or an "Irish-American", or whatever. America is a melting pot; don't be ashamed of where you come from.
One of the most interesting things I've found out through genealogy is the fact that sometimes, you're related to some very surprising people. For instance, I descend from Pocahontas's husband, John Rolfe. I also descend from William the Conqueror, the Bells of Tennessee fame, and several kings and queens of European countries. Through genealogy, I know that I'm Prince William and Prince Harry's 16th step-cousin, twice removed. I also know that I descend from two of the translators of the King James Bible. And I know that if everyone dug a little deeper into their family history, I'm sure they would find just as many surprising people (and likely, some of the same people that I've found.)
So there is my little lesson/rant for the day. I hope you all enjoyed.
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