Wednesday, January 20, 2010

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy Challenge #3

In Challenge #3, we were asked to do an assessment of our personal records and time line events to ensure our own life is as well-documented as that of our ancestors. Then, if we have a genealogy blog, write about the status of our own research and steps one might take to fill gaps and document our own life.

This is difficult for me to address. I am always so busy doing for others, I tend to not think about my own history. Now, I should, given that I have the example my husband gave me, but I am a self proclaimed procrastinator.

I have taken the week to inventory my personal journals and personal history writing and, oops, I am found wanting.
In various places around the house, such in bookshelves, drawers, file cabinets, and magazine racks, I have found random journals, calendars, spiral notebooks, etc. This alone tells me, I have not taken this area seriously. When I read in my journals, I find more often than not I am writing about someone else. When I started my personal history...hmmm... maybe one paragraph, it is rather shallow.

I believe I need to study Dr. Bill's Ancestor Storying, and Olive Tree's Sharing Journal, among others in order to get a feel for writing a meaningful journal or personal history. Obviously, this is a subject I have avoided. Thanks for presenting a soul searching topic, that I have needed to address.

My time line starts in 1948, birth post war years, 1950's lower school, 1960's high school, 1970's college and marriage and first child, 1980'a career, continued children, 1990's time with husband and children, 2000's long illness of husband and his death, reorganizing life.

Now what do I do with it. I made a time line at Ourtimelines.com, but it came out way too long to post on here.

My next question to myself is, do I write a journal or start a personal history. Which would be the most beneficial to my family?

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