Why Everyone Should be a Genealogist
Sunday, February 8th, 2009 |
I’m my family’s genealogist. I’m pretty sure they think I have this weird interest in dead people or that I was destined to this role due to being named after my two grandfathers (both of whom were family historians). It really goes much deeper than that though: I don’t want to end up marrying one of my cousins.
I remember growing up my dad telling me about how he had a kissing cousin. I don’t quite remember the details of all that entailed, nor, frankly, do I care to recall the specifics, but it definitely left an impression. I never really had any close relationships with my extended family though, so I thought I was safe.
I thought wrong. While on a double date with my roommate, we figured out through some fine detective work that my date was second cousins with my roommate (he was really glad I was the one taking his newfound cousin out and not he). This was just a warning. A few months later, I was talking to a good friend of mine. She is a family history major and when she mentioned one of her ancestors I recognized the name. Turns out we are 6th cousins. Add to that some of the latest tv episodes I’ve been running into and this has turned into a near epidemic…
In short, knowing how you’re related to people may slim your dating pool, but I hope you’ll agree that is not a bad sacrifice to make.
10 Comments to Why Everyone Should be a Genealogist
That’s quite hilarious that you mention this……because the very first guy I dated, well, we figured out three months into it that we were distant cousins….we had the same great-, great-, great-, great-grandfather. I don’t know what that made us, but it wasn’t the reason we ended the relationship. It’s probably better that things never worked out, just to be safe :)
Tanya and DaveFebruary 9, 2009
Ha,ha. You’re funny. Did you know Jeff Stowell and I are 4th cousins once removed. Our nieces and nepphews are also my 5th cousins or so? Too bad for me I’m already out of the dating pool and your rationale does not give me the motivation I need. I need a serious kick in the pants to get started.
missyFebruary 9, 2009
Did you know that Jeff and the kids are related to Tanya other than the obvious?
Ya, only marry one of your cousins if they have lots of money. They used to do it in England all the time back in the day…..on purpose.
AnnieFebruary 15, 2009
Not a bad phobia- I once got set up on a blind date with one of my second cousins. It was really funny once we figured it out. He took me home right after the play. Glad we can be blogging buddies now.
Rob! You are hilarious. I know my brothers have been on a few dates with our second cousins. It’s amazing how often that can happen without ever even knowing it. Speaking of genealogy though, I have some questions for you sometime… maybe when we play speed scrabble on Sunday! :)
Lord Viceroy of the Royal AdmiralityFebruary 19, 2009
Or…. just move to West Virginia and the whole cousin issue is a MOOTS point. Like my pun?
Yeah, only a genealogist would want to run to a cemetary, and it was great to have you there today.
Sad story I heard from the UK last year about romantic relatives…so, there was this couple who met and felt like they were just part of each other, they fit so well together. After the proper courtship they were married, only to discover two years later that they were actually twins separated at birth! Now that’s SAD!
Moral of the story: Rob is right. We all need to be genealogists.
Check out the story here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jan/11/allegrastratton
MomMarch 8, 2009
I’m glad you like genealogy and are our family’s genealogist. Thanks for taking on that role.
DadMarch 20, 2009
Oh Rob, if you could have seen my kissing cousin through my 18 year old eyes, you wouldn’t so casually dismiss this youthful indiscretion She was Miss Liberty Bell at the time and I even drove to Provo, (before the freeway was built) for the 4th of July parade because she was the reigning royalty. One of the sadder letters I received on my mission was the news of her nuptials. If her husband wasn’t such a nice guy I would still resent her getting married while I was awkwardly yoked with my missionary companion.
February 9, 2009