Joyce Borlaug wrote: > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Patricia Owens" <patticake@lor.net> > To: "Robert Crofutt" <raba@dtgnet.com>; "Lori Camper" > <loricamper@earthlink.net>; "Karen Lane" <lanek@nima.mil>; "Joyce Borlaug" > <iamphine@centurytel.net>; "Denise Jackson" <denise@eriecoast.com> > Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2000 8:36 AM > Subject: FW: YOU KNOW YOU ARE A GENEALOGIST WHEN: > > > > > > > > > Subject: YOU KNOW YOU ARE A GENEALOGIST WHEN: > > > > > > > You know you are a Genealogist when: > > > > > > Your kids think picnics in cemeteries are normal or that EVERYBODY does > > it. > > > > > > You're the only person in the bridge/poker club who knows what a Soundex > > is. > > > > > > "It is only a few miles down the road" means at least 50. > > > > > > Some of your best friends live over 200 miles away. > > > > > > You have more pictures of tombstones than of the kids. > > > > > > "I need to spend just a little more time at the courthouse" means forget > > > the cleaning, washing, dinner, chores; the day is shot. > > > > > > The mailman can't believe that you got this much mail from someone you > > don't > > > even know. > > > > > > You explain to mother why you can't go 25 miles for Sunday dinner, but > can > > > go 100 miles to check out another cemetery. > > > > > > "As soon as I check out this census record, I'll fix dinner" means "call > > > the local pizza parlor." > > > > > > Your neighbors think you are crazy, your friends wonder, and YOU know > you > > > are. > > > > > > You can't drive past a cemetery without wondering if your ancestors are > > > buried there. > > > > > > You have to watch the credits of a movie to see if any of the surnames > are > > > ones you are researching. > > > > > > You ask all the people you meet, what their grandparents surnames are. > > > > > > You move to a new town and the first thing you look for is a historical > or > > > genealogical society in the area. > > > > > > You go on vacation and beg your hubby to please drive 80 miles out of > the > > > way so that you can try and find your granddaddy's grave in 100 degree > > > heat. > > > > > > Youthful fantasies of traveling to exotic places are replaced with plans > > to > > > get to those little towns with graveyards, or larger towns with > Archives! > > > > > > Your fear of snakes and bugs is overshadowed by the need to get > > > through those brambles to that old gravestone. > > > > > > Old friends who knew you before you were into genealogy begin sending > > > clippings about dead or live people with your surnames (and you know > you > > > have been talking about genealogy too much!) > > > > > > You worry about the roof's leaking only if the drips threaten your > > genealogy > > > section. > > > > > > When you can recite all the counties of a State you've researched but > > where > > > you've never lived. > > > > > > When you find your ancestor's execution by hanging or burning at the > > stake, > > > far more interesting than the mass-murder that just took place next > door. > > > > > > You're not invited to family functions because your relatives are tired > of > > > filling out family group sheets. > > > > > > When you read the New Testament in Sunday School and find yourself > > comparing > > > the pedigrees in Matthew and Luke. > > > > > > > > > > > > > >