"Embarrassed" by Ara Shakhatuni. Acrylic on Canvas, 23.6" x 15.7" Unknown Date
Armchair Ancestry
The name seemed clever. It described my approach to research perfectly. How uncanny that the domain name was available. Why hadn't anyone snatched it up? Oh yes, there were sound reasons no one had touched it.
Let me state this clearly: "Armchair" and "Ancestry/Genealogy" are a dichotomy. A complete oxymoron. An antithesis of ideas. An armchair is not a place to conduct good-quality research. More appropriate settings for authentic discoveries are Libraries, courthouses, graveyards, and other enthralling places. A skilled researcher can never "armchair" her way to sound reasoning.
How many true genealogists have come across these pages and laughed out loud? How many board-certified individuals have read these words and snorted disapproval?
Another dubious decision was the attempt to write stories about my dead. Ancestors were not and never will be fiction. They had actual natalities, fatalities, and genuine adventures in-between.
The only scholastically proper decision remaining is the termination of this blog, my writings, and my research.
Or Not.
Let me state this clearly: "Armchair" and "Ancestry/Genealogy" are a dichotomy. A complete oxymoron. An antithesis of ideas. An armchair is not a place to conduct good-quality research. More appropriate settings for authentic discoveries are Libraries, courthouses, graveyards, and other enthralling places. A skilled researcher can never "armchair" her way to sound reasoning.
How many true genealogists have come across these pages and laughed out loud? How many board-certified individuals have read these words and snorted disapproval?
Another dubious decision was the attempt to write stories about my dead. Ancestors were not and never will be fiction. They had actual natalities, fatalities, and genuine adventures in-between.
The only scholastically proper decision remaining is the termination of this blog, my writings, and my research.
Or Not.
RSS Feed