Twiggs

As doing research sharpens memory, genealogy gives and gives. The genealogist may not remember the name of a friend or neighbor, however, has a total recall of the names of ancestors, places, and dates. As society embraces memory enhancement exercises such as crossword puzzles and brain teasers, everyone, sooner or later, realizes a certain loss of memory. We even joke about it. The old adage “use it or lose it” is so true of declining memory. Yet, the researcher awakes during the middle of the night with such thoughts as “where was Jane Chambliss in 1850?” Yet, I wonder, as the age of technology swoops us all up, shouldn’t we continue to do our own math, use maps for navigation, and remain mentally alert? The children of today do not use a road map to navigate from one place to the next. So, what gets lost? Why directional skills and the visualization in the mind of maneuvering from one direction into another locale. In Atlanta, for example, if you are intercepting I-285, you need to know your immediate location, whether North, South, East, or West. No more. One can use an app such as Waze and allow audio instruction throughout the trip. The first option of a genealogist is to acquire a county map that provides a visual of the location of old churches, cemeteries, railroads, and other landmarks. It is nice to have genealogy records indexed, however, the taste is in the pudding. Thus, the genealogist examines all of the old documents, reads them carefully, and writes down names and witnesses. Thus, the skills of digging for information, studying documents, and discovering historical truths all contribute to healthy brain cells. The modern world does not require details. But we do.