My impression is just that, an impression based on my own observation, not a scholarly thesis. Perhaps the area where you are is different. Yes an *interest* in family history has been an important part of southern heritage, but many people I've known who had an interest did not/could not necessarily follow through on it. They often were too busy making a living in the present to spend the time and money necessary to research their family's past, although family oral history was cherished and shared in the moments when it could be. I am very blessed to have a good education and a job involving researching families; it has enabled me to research my own, and present the findings to my very interested parents, who (along with their parents) were sharecroppers/farmers and did not have the time, money, and research skills necessary to embrace this hobby. Traci the Librarian >I didn't know any rich people who shared my interest in research of >genealogy before *Roots* but I did know a lot of people who shared that >interest who were not rich. I think your impression is less than >accurate >which surprises me. An interest in family history has been >very much a >part of our southern heritage for generations. I, of >course, am speaking >of my family but I know my family is not alone is >that interest or >pursuit. "Local history is not just local history but human history, world history. The information that you write down, the letters and maps you keep, these are the drippings of the human spirit and distillings of a man doing his job." --Paul Green _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp