10-13-2008, 02:33 PM
Ok, I can't resist a diatribe. It has nothing to do with Hawaii, but it might with perspective.
I've got a bit of an unusual family and family history. The FitzGerald family is a big one, and an old one, and nearly big clan, and I can trace my linage back to 8th century Tuscany. Not many can. We've been all the rage for the last couple of years because of all the DiVinci code stuff, as that's my family too, and the Mona Lisa Ghiardini is Grandma. Do I think I'm a decedent of Jesus? Honestly, I don't care. Do I think I see magic or I'm a decedent of God? Nope, I really don't. If I did, and claimed secret knowledge in my DNA, you'd all think I was an ass.
The most interesting thing to learn from my family's history, at least from our line, is this--there has only been ONE generation in what, 1200 years of human history, that was born and died on the same soil. Everyone else was running for their lives from one plague, war, incursion, or famine, for the entire period of that history. That would be my Grandfather, who died in 1984. One. That gives me a lot of perspective on the human condition, or the real human condition, than I think many have had.
Take from that what you will.
I've got a bit of an unusual family and family history. The FitzGerald family is a big one, and an old one, and nearly big clan, and I can trace my linage back to 8th century Tuscany. Not many can. We've been all the rage for the last couple of years because of all the DiVinci code stuff, as that's my family too, and the Mona Lisa Ghiardini is Grandma. Do I think I'm a decedent of Jesus? Honestly, I don't care. Do I think I see magic or I'm a decedent of God? Nope, I really don't. If I did, and claimed secret knowledge in my DNA, you'd all think I was an ass.
The most interesting thing to learn from my family's history, at least from our line, is this--there has only been ONE generation in what, 1200 years of human history, that was born and died on the same soil. Everyone else was running for their lives from one plague, war, incursion, or famine, for the entire period of that history. That would be my Grandfather, who died in 1984. One. That gives me a lot of perspective on the human condition, or the real human condition, than I think many have had.
Take from that what you will.