FACTION (Facts + Fiction) = Engaging Family Story

 

Genealogy proves our existence by using vital documents to determine the dates on our tombstone. 

While this information is invaluable in identifying my ancestors, I am far more interested in the dash in between. I often find myself veering off the document trail to ponder such psychological and sociological questions as:

• What was family life like for my ancestors?
• Where did they live? How did that environment affect their perspective on life?
• How did that perspective affect the decisions they made?
• How did those decisions affect the next generation?
• How does the accumulation of those decisions affect me? 
• Who am I?
• Why do I act the way I do?
• What makes me tick? 
• How do I affect who my children become?

While Genealogy research can provide answers to some of these questions, and social history can provide useful context, I also know my family stories will be largely speculative. A definite detour from true Genealogy which is rooted in facts.

But this Enneagram 6 is going to use her special powers to tease out these stories. 

Enneagram 6s prepare for worst-case scenarios by delving into "what if..." questions. We believe if we consider every possible outcome, we will avoid unexpected surprises. If we plan ahead for any contingency, we will find security.  And security is what we crave most.

Interestingly, novelists also use this superpower to create engaging stories. By constantly asking "what if..." questions, they uncover plot conflicts that help flesh out believable characters. A valuable skill for a budding Family Historian, don't you think?

Vital documents and Census records give me two-dimensional characters. Newspaper articles and advertisements provide the social context of the region's time period. Asking open-ended questions such as "Why..." or "What if..." allow me to connect with these ancestors in a personal way. Journaling the possible answers help tease out an engaging story. 

"Faction" is the term used for this kind of writing. Combining Genealogy "facts" with some creative "fiction" will (hopefully) bring my ancestors to life in a way that my descendants will want to read their story.

When I started this Genealogy quest, my goal was never to amass a collection of old documents. My focus has always been Family History. 

I firmly believe we ALL have a story worth sharing. I not only wish to tell my story but also give voice to the lost stories of my ancestors. For if I don't, who will? And I cannot bear the thought of their stories silenced forever.

Where will I go from here?

Lately, I've had a fascination with my mother's childhood. From outward appearances, she lived my idealized life. She not only had a large extended family, but she lived in a small Texas town where everyone seemed to know (and support) everyone else.

However, her life was obviously not ideal. 

Most of her cousins I've only discovered through research; she never talked of them. And when I asked about her childhood, she shared little and quickly diverted attention. I instinctively knew this was a topic not to be discussed.

So I will focus my attention here... on Boone Prairie, Texas circa 1930s.

I will share the inter-family marriages and the long list of first cousins that I never met.

I will share a few tragic stories of rural farm life, and how the family comes together in hard times. 

I will share about the city of Franklin, TX, and what it must have been like for a young country girl to go to town.

And I will speculate why my grandmother chose to leave this tight-knit community for opportunities in the big city of Houston.