Genealogy - The Perfect Avocation for an Armchair Detective

I have wondered many times what it is about genealogy research that is so appealing to me. It's more than just knowing the names of ancestors, more even than finding out their individual stories. There's something in the thrill of the hunt, of piecing together all the pieces, reading between lines, following the slightest clue and having it pan out, and the elation that follows when your search is finally culminated and your answer is found.

Except that every answer only open new doors, new mysteries, new clues, and the search begins all over again. So I think, for me at least, the thrill is in the solving of a mystery.

All my life I have I have been an avid reader of mystery stories. I watch all the mystery shows on TV. I've also done puzzles all my life too, and not crosswords that require you to just have a knowledge of words, but the ones that make you think and reason to get to the answer. And I always had a secret desire to be a detective, one of those daydreams you have when no one's looking.

Doing family history research fulfills all those cravings for me. I get to gather the facts, make assumptions, track down the proof or evidence to the contrary, and keep going till I work it all out and finally arrive at the culprit, er, uh, the ancestor! What better way could there possibly be to spend my days?

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My Non-Surname GenealogyWise Groups:
Scrap Your Family History"
Pilgrim Era Discussion"

My Website:
GenScraps

My Articles Online:
Associated Content