Waking the Dead

I'm really not morbid. No, I'm not. In fact, the fascination I'm finding in the stories of a bunch of dead people brings them to life.  My mom has been doing serious, and I mean serious genealogical research for a few years. It keeps her curiosity gene humming. We talk about her discoveries quite a bit. I've decided to do some filling in of my dad's side of the family though since she has only done the rudiments of research there.

I vaguely remember them, those great uncles and aunts. My great grandmother Florence I remember much better, but she died when I was 22 and I can sum it all up here:  He Looked Down Upon Me and Laughed. It's a family of farmers and laborers - just regular hard-working folk who were born, got married, popped out some kids, and died from what I've found so far. Stubborn, too, from what I hear. This makes "me" a little bit clearer.

While I would no sooner speak up in a room of strangers than I would give myself a lobotomy with a spoon and no anesthesia, I have absolutely no problem calling or knocking on someone's door if I actually want information from them.

Since I've moved here, I've been overwhelmed by a lack of interest in almost everything.  I'd rather watch the hours of DVR things I recorded all week in one sitting or take a nap and read a couple of books than leave my house to go anywhere.

But, I'm taking a road trip this Saturday to this family's town about 40 miles from here to gather some information and visit some cemeteries. I might even find a living relative or two to surprise.These are things I don't expect anyone to want to do with me, but when I mentioned I was going to my daughter, she wanted to go.  She plans on wearing her "Undertaker" cosplay costume so we can do a photo shoot by the tombstones. Whatever it takes. I like the idea of spending the day with her and it will be cathartic to leave town for a few hours.

I just wonder what I'll have missed on DVR this week.