Saturday, September 27, 2008

Can You Imagine...Genealogy in the Future

Finding that website with photos of  Randy's relatives from a century ago has got me thinking.  Frankly, it has me worried.  I'm wondering, what will future generations find on the Internet when they go searching their family tree? 

Can you imagine what it might be like in the year 2108? 

Picture young Justina Schell, a perky seventh grader at the KY-IN-OH Tri-State Consolidated Middle School. In history class she and her 35,000 classmates are asked to write a report about their ancestors and how they lived a hundred years ago.  

Little Justina wastes no time.  She taps the screen of her iPhone Super MAC PC and searches the Internet for information about her 112 year old grandfather, Old Justin 'Guitar Zero' Schell of Laurel County, Kentucky.  Can you imagine her surprise when, after a few taps, she runs across this photo of her great-grandmother?

 

 They sure lived a rough life back there in 2008!

In her George Jetson world of the future, imagine her shock at finding her great-grandmother was a primitive, rough, uncivilized mountain-mama.  Will she get a good grade on her history report about the tough life her ancestors must have lived?  How they lived in tents and cooked over open fires.  How they had to wear Walmart bags on their heads to stay dry. 


On the other hand, can you imagine Justina's classmate, young Billy Clyde Gillespie Stalker. (Yes, basketball will still be king in Kentucky.)   He searches for information about his grandpa, Bryan 'Big Fish' Stalker but instead finds this photo of his great-grandfather...

 Hey, you're not going to believe the pair my great grandpa had!

 Can you imagine how he is going to run to school, bragging, the next day? 

Yes, the Internet sure is going to change genealogy in the future, I'm just not sure it will all be for the better.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't wait till Jessica Tree Hugger Mayberry gets on to check out her heritage and finds a picture of her Great Grandmother Snagle Tooth Jessica Mayberry. Poor Baby. We have been planing her a surpirse party at the Olive Garden now for weeks and tonight one of her veneers on her front tooth cracks and falls off. We had to break down and tell her about the party. She was not going to go anywhere like that. Now we can get some real Stalker Clan material. I guess I will have to get my camera working now. I can't miss a photo op this good.

Anonymous said...

I just got off the phone with Michelle. I had a really hard time trying to expain how this picture was taken. I think she is still in the dark. "Those are Jennie's what?" Luci you need to talk to her and explain things better to her. She needs help. We did both agree though that Jennie has some really shinny round knees. If that is really her knees.

Anonymous said...

I thought this was Clyde laid out on the stretcher when the EMTs came for him after the Sea Biscuit accident.