Serious January Thoughts

 

Why does this joke make us laugh? Aren't we like the disbelieving lady clerk, smirking at the poor fellow's lack of knowledge?

At a recent EWGS Fall Seminar, I chatted with many of our marvelous members. Many of these members would classify themselves as "no longer spring chickens." (Me among them!) But I was dismayed and saddened to chat with more than one senior genealogist who was struggling with "what SHALL I do with all the genealogy stuff I've collected??"

As a group, they offered the usual excuses: Don't know what to do, don't know where to start, don't have time, don't have interested family, not computer literate, "it's just too overwhelming."

I did understand. I was sympathetic. I did offer my one-on-one help. Hopefully some will take me up on that offer.

But bottom line:

• YOU collected the stuff
• YOU must so something with all of the stuff
• Yes, it is terribly sorry that you didn't do this earlier...
• Do you really want all the stuff of your years' work to go to recycling?
• Chances are near 90% sure that if YOU don't do something with all that stuff, nobody else will. 
• No, your gene society doesn't want it; the FamilySearch Library doesn't want it; and your grandchildren surely DO NOT want boxes and binders of papers!!
• And it's patently unfair of YOU to expect that they will. 
• YOU collected the stuff. 

Does this sad scenario have to be inevitable for you?? Don't you want to leave a legacy and not a mess? There is an answer, I promise. Here's how:

• DECIDE to DO something
• MAKE TIME to DO something
• MAKE IT A PRIORITY
• Ask for help.......... your friends, EWGS folks
• Ask me! I'll happily come to you to help you get organized and started...

Started on what, do you ask? Getting all your information from those boxes and binders of paper into a computer database. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. Believe me, that is the only way to leave your computer-oriented posterity a legacy. 

Think about it.