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I have had an interest in genealogy for a very, VERY long time. All of my life I've met relatives the world over ... I have been told stories, and seen photos and documents... heard songs and voices ... and have so often wished I could preserve it all, not only for myself but also for my children and someday for their children as well. I kept many notes in journals and thought about compiling all of it into a book, but that never went far. In addition to always feeling like the size and extent of what I was trying to do wouldn't fit into a book, I also felt that a book could not easily be shared; the many branches of this extended family stretch across the globe. I thought about a website many times, and even from time to time inquired to various friends and relatives for assistance with the coding and design, but that never went anywhere either, primarily due to lack of vision and focus. I couldn't nail down where to start, what it should look like, and so on. Over and over again my lack of focus or technological disability stopped the project in its tracks and it lost momentum.
A few weeks ago while at the bookstore I came across a book titled "Who Do You Think You Are?" by Megan Smelnyak. This book was the "companion" book to the television show of the same name, of which I watched every episode. I bought the book and as I read through it, my sense of urgency to get SOMETHING going came back.
This afternoon I did a quick Google search for the best online genealogy websites, and came upon WeRelate.org. And I realized that aside from being a concept that I hadn't considered before, this is absolutely perfect for a family that is spread out across the planet. This way, anyone who wishes to can contribute and communicate. A living document of sorts. We can be each others' greatest resources. And so this project begins. There are so many interesting people you and I will meet as we work on this together... so many captivating stories, some tragic, some beautiful ... we may even uncover some great mysteries together ... I am looking forward to it.
If you're related to me somehow, feel free to participate. Old or young, doesn't matter. If you feel that you have something of value to contribute to the documented history of our combined families, please do. And if not, I hope you simply enjoy reading and thinking about what we put together here.
When my kids were younger they sometimes used to ask me who .. or WHAT ... they were. Having an Italian/Czech mother and a Pakistani/Indian father, living in Houston TX, no wonder they were confused! But I hope that they're also proud to be who they are, and I hope to provide some reason here. Here with this project I hope they, and any and all other descendants to follow, will be able to feel a little more connected to the people who came before them. And maybe our descendants will be grateful to us for the work we put forth here.
All the best -
PKB
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