Your family history and 'the lost hour'

Can you pinpoint where or when you first became interested in your family history?

For many of us, it’s an evolutionary process, building over the years until it reaches a tipping point where we come to the realization that who we are extends well beyond our everyday existence.

For others, it may come in one of those “ah-hah” moments, often ignited by the loss of a close family member or friend.

For fellow personal historian Bob Milner of Sedalia, Missouri, it seems to have sneaked up on him without him even knowing it. Over the weekend, Bob, who dates his interest in family history back about 10 years, shared with fellow members of the Association of Personal Historians a link to a YouTube video of a 1985 Twilight Zone episode called “Paladin of the Lost Hour.”

Acknowledging that “the story and what it says stayed with for the past 20 plus years and I think played a role in what I do now,” Bob quoted a bit of the ending narration:

“Like a wind crying endlessly through the universe, time carries away the names and the deeds of conquerors and commoners alike. And all that we were, all that remains is in the memories of those who cared we came this way for a brief moment.”

The episode was written by noted science fiction writer Harlan Ellison and stars Danny Kaye. Check it out for yourself before answering this question: Would you take one minute of the lost hour and if so, what would you do with it?

Larry Lehmer is a personal historian who helps people preserve their family histories. To learn more, visit his web site, send him an e-mail or follow him on Twitter.

Flickr photo courtesy of Andreas Falk.