LAURA BUSH ADDRESSES ROOTSTECH 2015

James Tanner, a blogger friend, says "Laura Bush and her daughter, Jenna Bush Hager. She says every child in America should learn to read. Reading is not just a cause, but a passion of her life. Talks about the National Book Festival. You need to hear her account of September 11th and time following. When all is said and done. We as genealogists need to embrace a more expansive view of what we do and why we do it. We also need to adopt a more inclusive, rather than exclusive attitude towards history and our own history. Laura Bush is an important part of our history. Let's embrace that history as we learn about our individual heritage."
This quote about Laura Bush's address as a Keynote speaker at RootsTech 2015 this morning addresses the central question of What are we Doing and Why are we Doing it? I go back to the church's main reason for changing the name of what we do:

Family History from Genealogy

It is not the "study of...genes" and we are not professionals. Instead we ARE experts of our own family. Now we have the tools and resources to add the LIFE to our own histories. We can add the spoken or sung word, we can attach documents that have been digitized, we can add photos, obituaries and tombstone data, we can learn about the places, times and customs of our ancestors. And now in the new Family Discovery Centers we can even see ourselves dressed in the period clothing worn by our ancestors. So Cool.

The Idea of Asking Yourself Five Questions

The concept of Everyone can spend just 90 seconds asking themselves to write the completion of this sentence:   

"I Remember...."

Now, complete the sentence five times. I fell asleep last night thinking of dozens of I remember when and I remember what, and I remember who, and this is what bloggers do. They tie their past to the present by remembering. That's why I've named my blog Malachi 3:16 so that I remember and I communicate often to others who love the Lord.

Also, Devin Ashby, from FamilySearch, in his talk on what's new, said when he asked his very young daughter to do this by drawing a map of the five things she remembered, She did this amazing drawing. Then he recorded her explaining her drawing on his phone. Oh my gosh. This tiny little voice captured for all of her descendants to hear. Wish I'd had my mom's voice on tape.

I remember my next door neighbor, Donna Belle Uebele, writing a poem about me 1956.

This is me (age 12) and the window on the right is my bedroom
Donna Belle's dining room window is to the left

Donna would buy me books at the Goodwill store..."The Beverly Gray Mystery Series" and we could borrow any of her kids books, too. Did I adore this woman? Yes. I love a good mystery to this day.

Winner of the Innovators Showcase is StoryWorth

I have questions sent to me every so often from Legacy Stories and do I answer them? All this for free, and we've been asked to write our own story for posterity, so did it motivate me? Did the jar with little questions on slips of paper motivate my husband to tell his story? NO 

Now, would I pay for this even if I could answer by phone every week? NO

How many descendants do I have... one daughter and three grandchildren under 8. Are they interested in my stories.... NO

Why Do I Continue to Record my Thoughts and Stories here?

Guess I can't answer that but with other questions. Do I have the gene that urges, no compels me to keep a journal? Is there a record keeping gene that is passed down? Am I so conceited that I think others will care what I think or write?

It is these questions and concerns that probably have kept me from writing online in my blog consistently during the past year. Yet, I return, determined to repent and get busy again. I resolve to TWEET, BLOG, post on FACEBOOK, keep a Pinterest account and prompt me to buy a new SMART PHONE to replace my dumb one. Will I keep my landline? Yes. Why? Probably nostalgia because even though he was just a room away, my husband Bob would call me once a day to say hi with his sexy voice right in my ear. Sure wish I had a phone line to heaven and he could talk to me again.