Filling out a family tree or researching a family's history takes time. For some, it can be a very long time. Projects often morph into something quite different from the original intention.
Most of us have some idea of where we're headed when we enter into a project, if only vaguely. But how do you know when a project's done? When do you share what you've learned?
There are some among us who are eager to share what we find as soon as we find it. This team-building approach encourages collaboration, often inspiring others to prod their own memories and resources to become active participants in your project.
Others choose to wait until they've reached a certain stage in their process, sharing only when their documentation is complete and their research results extend into their personal comfort zones. This can take years.
I'm reminded of a cartoon a few years back showing a tired and perplexed man sitting in front of a computer screen bearing a message to the effect of "You've reached the end of the Internet."
Can you imagine reaching that point in your own family history work?
Flickr photo courtesy of Buck Fever.
Author Larry Lehmer's book about Dick Clark and American Bandstand -- Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll --is available from Sunbury Press. His book about the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- The Day the Music Died: The Last Tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- is available at Amazon.
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