Genealogy with a Canadian Twist Webinar 13 Dec 1 pm Eastern

Latest Webinar I Will Be Participating In!

Genealogy With A Canadian Twist Webinars happening
https://mailchi.mp/…/genealogy-with-a-canadian-twist-webina…
http://bit.ly/gencantwist-16
(to register for the webinar I will be participating in)
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Great Conference and Lecture

Great conference today with Family History Fanatics and the Humble Texas Genealogical Society.  Fun was had by all! 

My Ancestors are Reflecting Back at Me

 

Most people recognize me with my glasses on.  By the way, I hate wearing glasses but it is a necessary evil.  I tried contacts but only ever got them into my eyes for ½ hour.  After that I struggled with trying to fit them into my flinching eyelids and was never quite sure if I had the lenses backwards or not.  I first started wearing glasses when I was seven years old; I was able to get away without wearing them all the time until I hit my later years, thus gradually, I am sure, my descendants will begin to notice me in pictures morphing into the person I am today; donning a pair of specks.

Whenever I get my hair done I figure it is time to take a picture of myself; I hate the word selfie as it sounds so narcissistic.  I am not an avid updater of my picture on Facebook either, but once in a while I think it is time for a change and so I upload the latest hairstyle and go with it.  This time while trying to take a picture of myself, that I felt reflected who I am from the inside out, I decided that none of the pictures with my glasses on would due; I even tried using my computer glasses and it still was not working for me.  Thus, on a whim I decided to take a few pics with my glasses off.  I am usually not satisfied with that choice but when I took the picture shown above there was something more to it then just an updated photo of myself. 

With this picture I slowly discovered that I could see my ancestors within my features.  My one side seemed to reflect my maternal grandmother’s side of the family; I could see my cousin’s eye.  It was very enlightening, as I had never noticed this before; I always saw my paternal side on that side of my face.  I am mesmerized by the other side of my face as I can see my maternal grandfather but also my paternal grandparents.  My paternal grandfather had told me that I looked like his little sister, who died of diphtheria when she was 11 years old and later he told me that he thought I looked like his cousin Joyce from England, whom I had met once when I was a teenager.  I could not see the resemblance however my grandfather knew her when she was my age.  If I look hard enough now into this picture I believe I can see what he was talking about.  After having my DNA done by Ancesty.ca it confirmed what I had already known; that I was who I though I was.  No, I was not adopted as I questioned as a kid, “How can you prove I was not adopted?”, I asked my parents.  They just chuckled with a knowing eye. 

I like this picture as it seems to be a piece of artwork.  My expression is pleasant, but behind my eyes are a person in deep thought.  I don’t need to share what those thoughts were but suffice it to say I had quite a lot on my mind that day and did not need to show my emotions on my sleeve for all to see.  Perhaps a few of my ancestors had felt the same as I at one time or another in their lifetime; I really am a deep thinker. 

The accidental composition of this picture is really fascinating too.  The chair in the backyard was not staged, it was just sitting there while I was fooling around with the camera on my computer.  Too me it seems as if that chair was meant to be there.  I can picture in my minds eye each of my ancestors taking turns sitting there watching me not only search for them in the records on the Internet, but also seeking them deep within myself using that picture.  Sure, I have seen my ancestors in pictures of myself before, but there is something romantically haunting about this picture that makes a statement; more then a thousand words even. 

Happy Hunting

Tammy Tipler-Priolo BASc, PLCGS

The Ancestor Investigator