Who Do You Think You Are?

Have you seen that new TV show, Who Do You Think You Are? They take a celebrity and for one hour you walk with them as they discover at certain line of their family history. It’s pretty cool. I suppose we all want to find some great explorer, or entertainer, or politician…well maybe not politician !! But we want to think that we’ve come from people that have made a difference in the world. Good news is, we all have. I have been tracing my ancestry strongly for a couple of years. What I’ve come to realize is they all have a story. We are all parts of the puzzle, not the puzzle itself. Each life, like our own, had happiness and joy, sadness and pain. Some died young, some died old. But they all have something to say to us. Here is a clip of former NFL great and fellow Pensacolian, Emmitt Smith in a segment of “Who Do You Think You Are”, as previewed on Oprah.  Simply fascinating.

If you have any interest in your ancestry, I say get on it. Start tracking it, talking to the elders of your people. When they go, so do many of the wonderful stories. It really is important to be able to pass this down. What’s the old saying “You can’t know where your going, unless you know where you’ve been”….dig for it all, not just the parts that appeal to you. Honor it all.

Maybe you came from Kings and maybe just a long line of folks that lived wonderful, fulfilled lives, and raised their families to do the same.

There are many research site and through the Mormon Church, there are great tools that can help you. Family bibles are another way. It’s a fascinating journey and one well worth taking. So, “Who Do You Think You Are?

Below is a pic of the Chavers Indian School that my family operated in Wildfork, Alabama. Courtesy of the “Brewton Historical Society”

Ain’t Nothin’ Like It Used To Be

So when were the good ole days? I’m guessing they are different for everyone , right? Do we all yearn for the simple times, or do we really dream of our mental picture of simple times? Could we, would we ,go back to pumping water from a well, going outside to go to the bathroom? Would we want to go back to just 3 TV stations, or better yet, when there was no TV? Lets not even bring up the internet, and all of the “communication” devices even the strongest of us are addicted to.

I guess it happens to every generation. Children are always doing things that their parents didn’t and there becomes the place of ” I tell ya, when I was a kid, we didn’t get to …….? Just fill in your own blank. So on and on it goes. It’s the toughest task at hand, but we’re instructed by all of the great religions to live in the moment. To try and live within each breath and to know that each breath is holy and sacred. Easier said than done I think, but in those brief glimpses I’ve had, it’s a wonderfully peaceful moment. Everything seems to fade away so you can bask in the moment right where God is.

I spoke about this with a friend the other day and his thought was maybe we think back on our own”glory days”, when we thought life was just right, and think of them as the good ole days. When we had the perfect job, or perfect mate, or our “greatness” was in sight! Maybe he’s right. but we can’t change the past and we can’t see the future, so all we really have is the moment. It’s hard but I believe the moment is the sweet spot. Thankfully God isn’t expecting any of us to “be there” all the time, just to recognize it and keep trying.

What do you think? Maybe I’m full of it. Do you live too far in the past? Do you like your past? Do you think you can only make the moment good, by thinking of the future. I hope you find peace wherever you are.