Sentimental Sunday - Expectations, DNA, Lineage & FGS 2013

Expectations are a funny thing: they can be your best or worst friend. I didn't realize how much I relied on my Expectations until they not only became my worst friend but an enemy worthy of homicidal thoughts. It got to the point where every time one of my ‘little’ Expectations came to fruition, a cascade of Negativity pushed me down and rolled me around in the dirt until I was bruised and bleeding.  I just wasn't going to stand for that kind of treatment anymore, so I killed off Expectation. I learned to live with a ‘meh’ attitude about things: if it was good, I braced myself for the bad; if it was bad, I just accepted that that was how Life was supposed to be.  It wasn't the smartest thing, but I got by.

I’m not sure when my fight came back; when I decided that I was tired of eating dirt and tasting blood. But I remember thinking that maybe if I resurrected Expectation, in the smallest of ways, that maybe I could start impacting the Future in a good way. The reality is, I realized, that you can’t be Disappointed without Expectation but you also can’t be Happy living in the World of Meh.

So, little by little, I started to put my Expectations back together. Like Dr. Frankenstein, I pulled together a rag-tag bunch of mismatched parts, halfheartedly expecting the worst while hoping for the best. This experiment was not without its epic failures, including a not-so-long-ago experience that left me once again dusting myself off and reaching for the Bactine. The difference was that *I* was the one who controlled how hard I fell because I was the one who brought those Expectations back to Life. If they turned on me now, Frau Ich had only herself to blame and accepted that responsibility entirely.

Fortunately, it would appear that my newly enlivened Expectations are significantly smaller and gentler, so when and if they do go awry, they’re still on a firm leash and can’t go on a rampage destroying everything in their path. The only surprises, hopefully and with fingers crossed, will be when they actually bring what I, er, expect. We’ll see.

 

Who knew that 23andme would open up so many opportunities to connect with potential relatives? After having my own DNA tested last year there was nada. After my Mom’s test came in, I received only one or two inquiries. After my Dad’s test came in last month: holy schmokes!! I've had a deluge of cousins contacting me to connect with two specific branches of my dad’s family: LEATHERMAN and BARNES. It’s so great to have the need to work on lines I've never really researched before and that I’m finding are rich with characters, intrigue and scandal. I’d expect (heh) no less from my Dad’s family.

Amanda Barnes and Daniel Beightler with family c. 1890

 (Photo courtesy private collection of L C Lorenzana 2013) 

 

I’m going to be spending the rest of this month working on several lineage society applications that I've had languishing for over a year. If nothing else, I want to get my OGS and Hamilton County OGS applications in for First Families, since Hamilton County Genealogical Society is celebrating their 40thAnniversary this year! That’s right…if you’re in Ohio or have Ohio roots, check out the Hamilton County Chapter of OGS. They’re the Awesome and the fact that they've been around 40 years shows how dedicated they are to supporting the genealogical community.

 

Have you been under a rock? If so, then you haven’t heard that the Federation of Genealogical Societies is having their 2013 Conference in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Why in the heck would they want to hold this important annual event in Ft. Wayne?! Well, because the Allen County Public Library is there, silly!! Check out the conference and library links for awesome information and to register for the August 21 -24 events. Because you know you want to go. You do. Want to GO!!