The "More" Child

Not my ancestor

The initial rush from seeing relatives who you haven’t seen in awhile has worn off.  You’ve stuffed yourself with turkey.  The thought of hitting the malls gives you a rash.  Maybe the weather is bad and you’re cooped up in the house.  You’ve snuck out to check the Internet because you’re reading this (busted!).  And there are still three more days left of this Thanksgiving holiday.  Now what?

You participate in the National Day of Listening, that’s what!  The good folks of Story Corps (You know, the ones who set up those orange booths around the country and have pairs of people record interviews each other–with the results being archived in the National Archive and some being broadcast to tear-jerking effect on NPR) last year wisely established the day after Thanksgiving as the National Day of Listening

On the day after Thanksgiving, set aside one hour to record a conversation with someone important to you. You can interview anyone you choose: an older relative, a friend, a teacher, or someone from the neighborhood.

You can preserve the interview using recording equipment readily available in most homes, such as cell phones, tape recorders, computers, or even pen and paper. Our free Do-It-Yourself Instruction Guide is easy to use and will prepare you and your interview partner to record a memorable conversation, no matter which recording method you choose.

Make a yearly tradition of listening to and preserving a loved one’s story. The stories you collect will become treasured keepsakes that grow more valuable with each passing generation.

What a most excellent idea!  Particularly for verbally gifted kids.

I say so because as a child and teen I had–for some unknown reason–an unusual interest in genealogy.  I have no idea where it came from. No one else I knew shared my passion.  But there it was.  And I know that somewhere in my years of reading about giftedness, particularly verbal giftedness, I have come across references to an interest in genealogy being a gifted “thing.”  Maybe it was this mention on the Hoagies Gifted Official Homepage of the PG (Profoundly Gifted) Cult:  “Are you researching your family’s genealogy? Before you retire? Before you even have kids?”

Gulp.  Hand raised.  Um, that would have been me.  I was the one who when she was 14 and spending a summer with her grandparents in Switzerland quizzed them on our family’s history, poured over a box of old photographs and wrote down names, dates, and whatever details I could find.

Genealogy is a great hobby for gifted kids, as it blends history, research, interviewing and writing, all in an intensely personal way.  Because more than most, gifted kids are seeking answers to the big question of “Who am I and where do I belong in this vast arc of human experience?” (Yes, gifted kids really do think intensely about these things.)  Family history, the personal narrative, provides that.  Genealogy is also systematic.  There is a structure (begat, begat, begat). There is a concreteness and a progression that is almost like a game (can I get the birth certificate? Immigration record? A census record?  And if I get that information, then I can get…).   Finally, there are now so many amazing media tools with which to organize and present and share genealogy information in really creative ways (Hello PowerPoint, YouTube and podcasts!).

Now as a grown up person in her 40s, I am pleased to report that my early interest in family history has finally paid off.  A few other people in my family have finally caught up with me  and suddenly I have this treasure trove of info that otherwise would have been completely lost.  Nerd Girl has become Go To Girl.

One thing I did several years ago was put it all on Ancestry.com so that it could be easily shared.  Not to sound like a commercial or anything, but the site is rather cool, despite the fact that somehow they and the genealogy gods have locked up electronic access to many many records unless you’re willing to pay.  That part is not so great.  Nonetheless, I think the site would be a kick for a gifted kid to play around with.

So instead of driving each other crazy today, get started on your family history.  Your ancestors will thank you.

P.S.  If your family gathering was less than optimal, if the grandparents think you’re just a little bit crazy about “this gifted thing,” you may want to check out Jim Webb’s Grandparents’ Guide to Gifted Children.  And give it as a not-so-subtle holiday present.