Genealogists, as a group, seem to have a sense of humor about their favorite hobby. It might be a side effect of spending so much time doing precise research and serious fact checking. There are genealogy jokes that get passed around the internet, and several websites that sell shirts with amusing genealogy images and sayings printed on them. So, when genealogists refer to their hobby as an addiction, I believe they are joking around.
There are genealogy blogs that use the word “addiction” in their title! Pamela’s Genealogy Addiction is the name of a blog run by Pamela. She uses this blog to post information about gravestones she has photographed, and includes the photo itself. She has an “extensive library” of the LDS Church history and people. This blog features all of her different genealogy related interests.
There is another blog that is simply called Genealogy Addiction. The tagline reads “recovery is not an option”. If you read the about page for this blog, the first part reads: “Hello. My name is Kathryn and I’m a genealogy addict”. Her blog has information about her family tree, ancestors, and the stories that go with them. It is a very aesthetically pleasing blog to view.
How can you tell if you are addicted to genealogy? Here are some signs:
Your vacation planning includes directions to local graveyards.
You have started referring to your children and grandchildren as your descendants.
Friends ask about your genealogy research, and your family responds: “Don’t get her started!”
You read the obituaries in the newspaper before the headlines on the front page.
Your kitchen table is covered with books, notebooks, and documents. It has been this way for a year.
You check websites like Ancestry.com more often than you check your own email.
You can recite the marriage, birth, and death dates of ancestors going back ten generations, but have forgotten your anniversary, your own birthday, and have lost track of what day it is today.
You have accumulated more genealogy books than can be found at your local library.
The last thing you read was the data from the U.S. Census.
If these symptoms and signs describe you, there is help. Join a genealogy group, and start attending meetings. While there is no cure for a genealogy addiction, you can find relief, enjoyment, and acceptance while being surrounded by a group of people who are just as excited about genealogy as you have become!
Image by Alan Cleaver on Flickr