Pieces of Me

A few years ago I wrote a description of myself after an argument with my husband.  I don’t recall the details of the argument but it prompted me to try and capture some of the key things about myself. 

It reads:  I use big words and phrases because that is part of my education. I work because I like to learn and use my brain; I like learning from other people and how that energy spawns ideas.   I like solving problems and looking at different ways to do things.  I like guidelines versus hard and fast rules. I don’t like small talk because I have a hard time thinking at that level.  I love my family unconditionally; no matter how many times they make me mad or upset or say mean things, nothing can change that they are important to me.  I like to explore new places and spend as much time seeing things because I may not be back and I don’t want to miss out on something cool. I like animals because they have no strings attached, you love them, they love you.  I am loyal to my family, my love and my friends. I am selfish, thoughtless when it comes to food and myopic when I feel like I really want something. I am optimistic because there are always options. I am persistent because it takes a long time to achieve anything worth achieving. I don’t dwell on the past because I can’t change it, I can only move forward and learn from it so I don’t see the point. I appreciate traditions in that they ground you. I appreciate history of any sort and like to read and discover it. 

Fast forward a few years and I find myself digging into my own family history and continue to discover connections and putting the puzzle pieces of myself together.  What I love most about this is how by learning about my ancestors past lives, the places they spent time not only enables me to have an appreciation of those that have come before me but provides me a clearer understanding of my own past, present and future. 

I love architecture and the craftsmanship that is inherently part of erecting buildings that can withstand the test of time; I’ve uncovered ancestors that were stone masons that built buildings that were all around me as a child and never knew.

I enjoy all kinds of music and the performing arts; I’ve uncovered an ancestor who helped bring the arts to her community and many musically talented family members.  

I have an innate sense of patriotism, I love my country and all that it is; tracing back many generations I’ve found that I have lineage that arrived in this country during the Puritan migration. 

The respect I have for our veterans has always been fed by my husband, uncle and cousins that have all served during my lifetime; but that life of service to this country runs deep as I’ve been able to associate many lines of family having served in almost every war this country has entered into.   

Pulling up roots and relocating to eight different states during my adulthood takes an adventurous spirit that isn’t for many, I’ve done it and find an appreciation of learning new cultures and sharing my knowledge with others from where I’ve been; that adventurous spirit is what brought all of my ancestors to this country, but also led them to migrate across this country from the originating towns on the east coast.  

An open mind towards those that are different from yourself and accepting others as they are is a principle that I live by; I’ve found record of some of my ancestors moved to what was considered Indian territory to live among them, share meals with them, lend them tools and supplies, provide shelter to them when needed and ultimately calling each other friends when others feared them. 

Putting in the hard work to make things happen has never deterred me and as I continue to pull back the layers of my family each generation provides insight in that foundation by finding Generations of blue collar workers; many were building the railroads in the early to mid 1900’s, some were and are still farmers who continue to feed this country, several plant/warehouse workers making the products we consume in our day to day lives as part of my family.  

I’ve always had empathy for people and their situations, wanting to help them consider how to solve their problems or consider different viewpoints.  Combing through lots of information I’ve discovered years of public service from each branch of my heritage; cousins who have lead this country in Abraham Lincoln as President or Lucius Lamar as the Secretary of Interior under President Cleveland after serving in the US Senate for several years or Mirabeau Lamar who was the 2nd or 3rd president of the Republic of Texas, my g.g.grandfather LJ. Lamar was the mayor of McFarland Kansas representing his local community, my g.g.grandfather Abbott as the County Clerk & Marshal of Wabaunsee County Kansas, my Uncle Mark Falk serving half his life as Marshal of Alma Kansas protecting and serving the people.  

With every piece of information I uncover the pieces of me come more in focus.