Genealogy is defined as, a record or table of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or ancestors; a family tree. For many, perhaps most, this is an assumed endeavor, looking toward the future without an inkling of an idea the struggles and hardships their ancestors encountered. Oh, there are some, second or third generation Americans, who have been told and remember the stories of their parents or grandparents coming to the United States, but each generation seems to lose the compassion and understanding of the sacrifices those before them made that allows them to be where they are today.
I really do not believe it is a matter of lacking appreciation. Our world today is so fast paced and the more conveniences that are invented, the faster paced our lives become, leaving little time for the simple things in life. The things our hard working ancestors had and took time to enjoy. Need an example, when was the last time you admired the magnificence and beauty of a sunset or closely examined a rainbow?
A couple of years ago, I was traveling East on Interstate 40 in Tennessee. It was dark when I reached the Cumberland Plateau, traffic was primarily semis and I was in line with them. I glanced at my speedometer and this "convoy" was traveling at speeds of 80-85 mph and I was in the right lane. I had already driven several hundred miles and it was tiring just keeping up, but the alternative was to pull off and I needed to be another hundred or so miles by morning, with a good night's sleep. Suddenly my thoughts shifted to my ancestors, those who had crossed that same mountain two hundred years earlier. They didn't have a paved road, a trail at best and maybe it was little more than a path, nor did they have a power, leather seat on which to sit or shock absorbers or rubber tires! How did they do it? In the early 1800's, were there hostile Indians or highwayman? How did they feed their horses or mules and was it horses or mules that pulled their wagons across the mountain? And their wagons, could I load my family and all my belongings into one wagon? Would I have had the courage to embark on such a journey, a journey of the unknown?
Yes, the next hundred miles passed rather quickly and I gained an even greater respect and more admiration for my ancestors, who had made the decision to leave North Carolina and go West.
This is the first part of a continuing entry on my heritage, my thoughts and genealogy in general. Please visit again, comments are welcome and encouraged. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read my ramblings. Have a great day!
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