MORE ABOUT GENEALOGY
Websters Definition - noun ge·ne·al·o·gy \ ˌjē-nē-ˈä-lə-jē also -ˈa-lə- also ˌje-nē- \
Etymology: Middle English genealogie, from Middle French, from Late Latin genealogia, from Greek, from genea race, family + -logia -logy; akin to Greek genos race.
Date: 14th century
1) an account of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or from older forms.
2) regular descent of a person, family, or group of organisms from a progenitor or older form : PEDIGREE (a register recording a line of ancestors).
3) the study of family pedigrees.
The True Definition according to "moi"
Genealogy is the relentless pursuit of seeking ones roots, perhaps one's ancestors, and throw in the search for all of our relatives among others. It is the neverending search for "history" or better yet, "family history". It is the documenting of "events and circumstances of how we got where we are today" ergo; "from whence we came".
A Tale from Larry's Book of Fables - "The Grandson and The Aunts":
(Aesop's ~ "The Grasshopper and the Ants")
Most of us don't care about it...until it's too late. If you have the slightest bit of interest, whether you are young or old, START NOW! Ask your older relatives all of the questions you can about their lives; where did you go to school; when; what was it like; when was the first time you rode in a car; what was the funniest thing that ever happened to you? Nothing is too trivial because it all tells a story. If you ARE the older relative, write it down, do it now, leave something for those that follow you.
Life is short but it can be more valuable if we know how we got to where we are today. This "genealogy" unites people and families and creates a sense of belonging, especially in times when family bonds are so fragile and not as tight as a hundred years ago.
Don't put off for tomorrow what you should do today!
Process - (a natural phenomenon marked by gradual changes that lead toward a particular result).
Genealogy is the process of finding YOUR family tree. It can create bonds and friendships between family members and distant relatives that never before existed. It may leave you with a deep respect and awe for those who came before you, YOUR ancestors. You may uncover a skeleton or two along the way, you may find out things you really didn't need (or want for that matter) to know, but, that's okay, we all have our "skeletons" and rattling some of those old bones may help you shed new light on your own life.
Story - (History; an account of incidents or events; a statement regarding the facts pertinent to a situation in question).
Genealogy tells a story, a sometimes-poignant tale of how we got to be here, sharing the same small planet, today. It is an appreciation and a memorial to our ancestors whose lives may have an air of insignificance at the time. Genealogy is a way for us to understand our habits, our features, our traits, even the reason your second toe is longer than your big toe. It helps to explain, and helps each of us to understand, the unique mold from which we were cast, the mold that makes each of us "individuals" (with a few quirks that you might be able to blame on your great great great grandmother).
Fate - (the principle or determining cause or will by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do).
Fate is a phenomenon that occurs when looking into the lives of our ancestors. It may not have mattered to them at the time (as it may not matter to you right now). It may have just been their struggle to survive (as each of us struggle to survive in our own way). It is certain, however, that either way, we may not have been here if just one single event in the life of any single one of our ancestors had been done differently or had a different outcome. If just one person made a decision to settle in town A opposed to town B or, for instance, had gone to Germany during WWII instead of Japan, it's most likely you would not be a part of the family you are in, or come from, today.
I didn't write all of this but it's certainly interesting