Danish people rule! (And other life lessons)

Since claiming my own tiny slice of the blogosphere nearly a year ago, I’ve found that there are plenty of talented, interesting bloggers out here. Some of those that I read regularly write about genealogy and family history, many others do not. Lately, some of those in the latter category have posted items of interest to those who share my interest in family history. Here’s a recap:

• Peggy Payne’s post this week in her Boldness Blog told of how she and her husband split appearances one weekend in which they were to attend a wedding and a funeral. The friend getting married was 65; the friend who died was 44. Peggy’s lessons from the experience: “One: it's never too late. Two: don't delay.”

• I think Brian Clark’s guest post over at zenhabits follows up on Peggy’s “don’t delay” lesson. Using a legendary 1976 concert by the Sex Pistols in Manchester, England, as his backdrop, Brian makes the case that spotting trends and having great ideas is not enough. It’s action that separates the wannabes from the doers. Perhaps you know of someone who’s talked about wanting to do their family history but waited until it was too late.

• The always-interesting Shelly Kneupper Tucker tackled the topic of ageism in a recent post at her This Eclectic Life blog. It seems ageism has joined racism and sexism in the current race to the White House. Some in our modern American culture value youth over the wisdom of their elders but, as Shelly points out, Benjamin Franklin was 70 when he helped draft the Declaration of Independence. The average age of the signers of that document was 45, making them elder statesmen of that time.

• I missed the 60 Minutes report last week on how happy people are in Denmark, but thanks to Philip Brewer at Wise Bread, I can learn why this is so. I always thought of my Danish grandparents as happy people, even though they left that country in their early 20s. Can you imagine Americans being happy with the hefty taxes the Danes pay?

My lesson from these assorted posts is simple: Get moving on my own family history, value the wisdom of my elders and celebrate my Danish heritage. And, although it’s never too late, don’t delay. Thanks Peggy.

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

Flickr photo courtesy of robotsaresosex.