Tonight I interviewed my cousin, or at least I think she's my cousin. My grandfather (maternal) was her uncle. So that would make her mother, my great aunt, so yes, we're cousins.
Well anyway, she was a little helpful. I thought she was my grandfather's sister, but, as mentioned, she is his niece. She did give me names of some of her other aunts, uncles, and siblings, but she let me know in no uncertain terms, that she is 72 (birthday 5 May 1935) and she just did not remember AND that I would not get very far in my search. I think maybe, perhaps, she said that three, possibly four times. And I kept saying, no, I think I'll find something, and I'll share it with you and the family. She said, she did not want to know. And anyway, I was not going to find anything anyway.
I had to keep telling her over and over again that I had already found information. But she said I'd find nothing, and I can understand her skepticism. We've been cut off.
When I was watching Roots, in the end, the greot said that there were Africans who were in exile, away from their home.
Somewhere I read about a monument at a slave trading sight someone in Africa that was dedicated to the lost and hoped that one day they might find their way home, back to their families, back to their home land.
But there was not a lot of hope surrounding this. I mean, being in exile (and believe me, this feels like exile, even on good days), it's difficult to get back, especially when the link was broken from the 1600s through the 1800s. That's 300 or so years. And one number of those abducted is 14 million (or more). I've heard other variations of that number, only higher. And after watching Amistad, I have to wonder how many of those millions ended up at the bottom of the Atlantic, but I digress.
The link has been broken, and for Alex Haley to have reconstructed his is a miracle. I say to myself after reading his books, especially Roots, and after having seen his movies, especially Roots, et. al., that man was truly blessed. The circumstances surrounding his finding his home were phenomenal and he was just always in the right place at the right time.
I don't know if the stars will align for me as they did for him.
I know that in my life I have been truly blessed. I have been given much and at times I feel as if I should not ask for more. But, for this, reconstructing my link, I am going to ask and I am going to pray. And just like Mr. Haley, I am going to ask others to pray for me too.
The picture above, again is of the Atlantic. But this picture is from the Atlantic, of the shore in North Carolina. I wonder if any of my ancestors (or ancestor) walked on this shore from chains into bondage.
Well anyway, she was a little helpful. I thought she was my grandfather's sister, but, as mentioned, she is his niece. She did give me names of some of her other aunts, uncles, and siblings, but she let me know in no uncertain terms, that she is 72 (birthday 5 May 1935) and she just did not remember AND that I would not get very far in my search. I think maybe, perhaps, she said that three, possibly four times. And I kept saying, no, I think I'll find something, and I'll share it with you and the family. She said, she did not want to know. And anyway, I was not going to find anything anyway.
I had to keep telling her over and over again that I had already found information. But she said I'd find nothing, and I can understand her skepticism. We've been cut off.
When I was watching Roots, in the end, the greot said that there were Africans who were in exile, away from their home.
Somewhere I read about a monument at a slave trading sight someone in Africa that was dedicated to the lost and hoped that one day they might find their way home, back to their families, back to their home land.
But there was not a lot of hope surrounding this. I mean, being in exile (and believe me, this feels like exile, even on good days), it's difficult to get back, especially when the link was broken from the 1600s through the 1800s. That's 300 or so years. And one number of those abducted is 14 million (or more). I've heard other variations of that number, only higher. And after watching Amistad, I have to wonder how many of those millions ended up at the bottom of the Atlantic, but I digress.
The link has been broken, and for Alex Haley to have reconstructed his is a miracle. I say to myself after reading his books, especially Roots, and after having seen his movies, especially Roots, et. al., that man was truly blessed. The circumstances surrounding his finding his home were phenomenal and he was just always in the right place at the right time.
I don't know if the stars will align for me as they did for him.
I know that in my life I have been truly blessed. I have been given much and at times I feel as if I should not ask for more. But, for this, reconstructing my link, I am going to ask and I am going to pray. And just like Mr. Haley, I am going to ask others to pray for me too.
The picture above, again is of the Atlantic. But this picture is from the Atlantic, of the shore in North Carolina. I wonder if any of my ancestors (or ancestor) walked on this shore from chains into bondage.
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