Late Thursday Night Thoughts

Holding Pattern and My First Genealogy Workshop

Right now, it feels like I’m in some type of holding pattern with my research. It’s not like I’ve done nothing to start out the year but when I am waiting on the arrival of requested materials it sure feels like I’m not doing a darn thing. Ahh, I must try to learn an attribute which I’ve never had, patience.

As I await the arrival of microfilms and fiches, death certificates, and DNA results, I’m actually trying to work on some of my New Year’s goals, both in genealogy and in other areas of my life.

One of my genealogy goals for 2010 was to go to one training seminar, because I was feeling like I needed formal training in addition to all the knowledge I’ve acquired from various books. So, I signed up for and have started my first genealogy workshop. The workshop is being giving by Comprehensive Genealogical Services, a non-profit organization, which is based in Charlotte, NC.

I must admit that my first two weeks of the workshop have not faired well. First by the time I found out about the workshop, I had already scheduled another event for the first night of the workshop, so I missed week one. I signed up for the intermediate class and left a note with my PayPal payment that I would not be able to make the first class. The instructor received my payment but somehow didn’t get the note that I wouldn’t be at the first class. For various reasons, the remainder of last week was hectic. Therefore, I didn’t think to call and ask if there was anything I needed to bring to week 2 of the class, so this past Tuesday, the instructor and I just sat and chatted for 2 ½ hours. (Yes, I’m the only one that signed up for the intermediate workshop.)

This upcoming week, week 3, will provide me with an opportunity to work on another one of my genealogical goals, that of reorganizing my older records and organizing my newer material, as the instructor requested that I bring in everything I have. Now, while this is forcing me to organize / reorganize records, something I very much needed to do, I have to be honest and say that maybe I’m much further along as a family researcher than I give myself credit for. (I’m basing this on my conversation with her.) This brings me personal joy but is a bit of a disappointment also as I was hoping for something a bit more advanced, workshopwise. I’m not going to totally write things off, yet as 1. We haven’t had a true workshop session, yet and 2. The workshop has provided me an opportunity to connect with fellow researchers in real life, as well as given me an opportunity to learn about an organization here in Charlotte.


Until Next Time!