Monday, May 3, 2010

Madness Monday - The Pedigree

So there I was, standing in a long line at the grocery market yesterday, and after what seemed an eternity the woman in front of me struck up a conversation. She was a bit older than I am [or so I thought], and she turned and began to ask me what I did for a living. So I told her that I assisted people in finding out about their family's history.

"Oh, you're one of them genealogists", she said. [She pronounced it like 'jean-ee-ah-ologists'.] 'Well, I guess so," I answered.

"Well, I ain't never had time fer that sorta thing. Just keepin' the dog's pedigree's straight is 'bout all I kin do!" she exclaimed.

"Well, it's really quite similar to keeping a dog's pedigree, " I told her. "Simply keeping the sires and bitches in correct order."

"Yeah, well," she said, "it's those damn sires and bitches that is the reason I don't keer to check into my genealogy none!"

And at that point the conversation just kind of ended as we moved forward in the line and she began putting her groceries on the conveyor to check out.

I was a little taken aback at this woman's response, but then I realized it's just the same with so many people I've talked to! Life is more important than learning about the past.

At least to them!

Ahhhh, give me a census record, a church register, a taxation roll, or a diary of any kind, and I am sublimely in my literal seventh heaven!

Call it ancestry, genealogy, or pedigree, it's all that same passion that drives me, day in and day out, to forever keep up the search!

Happy Hunting!!!

4 comments:

Barbara Poole said...

I think I would have said, "If you do your genealogy and your dog's pedigree, you could see if you both were related."

Barbara Poole said...

I hit send too quickly, sorry. Wanted to say, I enjoyed this post and got a loud chuckle from it. Thanks.

Joan said...

"Doncha just luv" those grocery store conversations --- no holds barred. Color and humor to flesh out deeply held views. Thanks for sharing this with us.

Nancy said...

Yes! I feel the same way you do - give me any kind of genealogy record and I'm a happy woman! And sometimes, learning about the past IS life, at least for me.