Genealogy... why??!

I am amazed at the amount of people who are seriously doing Genealogy these days! According to a Family History Research site, "Over the past decade, online family history research has grown in the United States by 14 times, with two-thirds (63%) of respondents in a recent study reporting that family history has become more important than ever. They also say that this growth is motivated by a belief that knowing more about the past is a key part of understanding who we are." How True!!! http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=33493 (kind of an interesting read)
The funny thing about this trend, is that it is so ADDICTING! Sites such as Ancestry, Family Search and others, have made it quite easy to connect the dots on our family trees. When I first decided to wander down the path of family research, I was leery. I had tried to do some in the past and was frustrated by my lack of time, knowledge and searching the records through the old microfiche was~ difficult to say the least. Especially for those of us with ancestor research across the waters(that's everyone, right?!) whose records are in Norway- I struggled through the Norwegian with a dictionary :)
There was nothing on line in those dark ages and with four kiddo's, working and being involved in the community and church~ I didn't have a lot of time to traipse through the forest of an unknown language and records that were hardly decipherable. But today~WOW! There is so much online~ so many of the records are much easier to read. There are so many doing their research, that records that were lost in church attics, etc. are being found, copied and put on line by just ordinary folks like you and me. It's amazing! Case in point. My great grandpa, Hans Hansen, was one of those in Norway who didn't like being told what to do~ feisty! He and others started a church in Balsfjord~ they were called "dissenters" by the government. A little while ago, I found this list~ in Norwegian ~ but readable. It lists everyone who was attending that church from 1856-1879, their birth dates, place of residence, etc. It's a gold mine of information. All because some kind soul went and actually made copies of the records. Now I am trying to do my part and transcribing the records so others have this information too. See, if you have been helped~ give back! If you have a little time, you can index records for Ancestry or Family Search and I'm sure other sites would welcome your help too. I only spend about an hour a week or more some weeks, if possible, indexing but hopefully my menial contribution is helping someone else. Ok, I'm off that soapbox. 
One other aspect of this research is the connection that young people are having with their grandparents and even great grandparents who through modern medicine are staying alive so much longer. Our grand kiddies all know their great-grandparents. They have played with them, laughed with them, read with them, snuggled with them~ they know them! Only a few live in the same city, but the others have visited from time to time and so when they see their faces in pictures they recognize them. I love that!! We can learn so much from the lives and wisdom of this older, wise generation. In the bible, the book of Malachi (final book in Old Testament) it states, " And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." I really believe that the "turning" is through Genealogy~ so we are basically saving ourselves from a curse! Maybe we could have been swarmed with all kinds of bugs or even a curse of-- alligators! Oh my! 
Most of the generations of my ancestors were just ordinary, very hard working folks. They were farmers, policeman, worked on bridges, carpenters, store owners, railroad engineers with a few attorneys, engineers and city councilman mixed in. The women were incredible teachers, farmer wives with all the work that was involved (which makes my head spin!), they were musicians, worked for the war efforts both as a "Rosie the Riveter", in offices and in medical capacities. They were amazing seamstresses, maids, nanny's to the wealthy, bankers, saleswomen~ just a wide variety of women that I am so proud to call my "peeps!" How do I know these women? Through diaries left behind, stories passed on through the generations, census records- an endless list of records that I can now see on line and listen to on the phone or through the email. 
If you haven't caught the "bug", and maybe want to. I say, "Go for it!" It's fairly easy to start a tree on Ancestry or Family Search. Both sites have live chats, simple classes to get you started and trust me~ it's easy, peasy. I do wish that I had talked more with my grandparents while they were still here. So many things I would like to know and most likely won't until later. So now, I head to Mom and Dad's to ask them some questions~ and hopefully, they will spill the beans! I'm smitten~ with Genealogy!!