Personal

Because it makes history real.

When I was younger, I claimed (only slightly tongue-in-cheek) that I couldn’t get into history because, “you meet all these interesting people — but they’re all dead!”

Thankfully, that attitude has changed as I’ve aged, and I’m constantly finding history more and more interesting. One of the big triggers for that change was the first time I started digging through the box of genealogical records that floats around our family, during one of its trips through our household. At first it was just idle curiosity, but then I started reading…

Random recollections of what’s contained in that box:

One family line can be traced back to Richard Warren, who came to America on the Mayflower.

The line of mom’s maiden name — Ward — can only be traced back a few generations. The popular theory is that a few generations back, the “family founder” was an orphan, and therefore a “ward of the state.” Hence, the family name of Ward.

One of my ancestors ran a stop on the Underground Railroad during the civil war.

During the westward expansion of America, one family lived in a little cabin somewhere out on the woods. One day the mother and father were off somewhere, leaving the children in charge of the oldest child, who was around ten or twelve, I believe. During the time they were gone, he realized that there was a mountain lion (cougar?) stalking the house, and he had to find his father’s gun and kill the predator before it made off with one of the younger children.

During the Revolutionary War, one ancestor fighting for the colonies was captured by the British. During the review of the prisoners on board a British ship, the captain stopped in front of him — it was his brother. They retired to the captains cabin and spent the next few hours in debate, each trying to convince the other to switch sides. Neither succeeded, the captured brother was set free, and neither brother saw the other again.

These are all things that when you read about them in the history books, they often just provoke a “huh…that’s neat” reaction. But when I sat there and read through these stories as they related to myself and my family, they resonated with me in a way they never had before, and suddenly it was all a lot more real to me.

I’m really looking forward to being able to get back into all this again.

Can you tell? :)

iTunes: “Sky Is Broken, The” by Moby from the album Play (1999, 4:18).

I made it back in last night safe and sound, and immediately crawled into bed and crashed out. While it was a wonderful trip, it was fairly mile-a-minute for much of it, and sleep was a very good thing when I got in.

I’ve managed to get my photos of the trip uploaded, though for some reason the software doesn’t seem to be sorting them correctly, even after I’ve told it (twice) to sort by the timestamp on the pictures. Ah, well. Feel free to take a look, just realize that many of the shots are out of sequence. I’ll work on rearranging them after I get home from work tonight.

Also, as I’m a bear of very little brain, there are a lot of people pictured who I couldn’t remember the names of. If any family members who are able to could add comments to the photos with the names of the people in question, I’d greatly appreciate it!

One last post before I stop monopolizing Em’s family’s computer…

(Picture by Dad, mine aren’t off of my camera yet)

Well, the deed is done — there are now three sets of ‘Mr. and Mrs. Hanscom’ in our branch of the Hanscom family.

The wedding was yesterday at the Memphis Botanic Garden, and went off very nicely. Dad and Aunt Susan were the officiates for the ceremony, Kev’s friend Stu and I were groomsmen (and I was best man), Em’s sister Elizabeth and friend Heather were the bridesmaids, and music was provided by mom and dad. Very nice, short, and sweet. There was a good laugh when Susan got names slightly confused and directed Em to place the ring onto Michael’s finger rather than Kevin’s — I didn’t realize that I was coming to Memphis to get married! Em knew which hand to aim for, though, and aside from being able to gently tease Susan about it, it didn’t cause a fuss at all.

Lots of pictures were taken, of course. Dad and I will be posting ours in the Hanscom Family photo gallery as soon as we get home, we should be getting Susan and Eric’s pictures added after they’re developed and sent to us, and there may be more after that. Quite likely only of any real interest to close family and friends, but still, they’ll be there.

Right now mom and dad are visiting with Em’s parents, and I’ll be getting shuttled off to the airport in about three hours or so. A short hop from Memphis to Cincinatti, and then from Cincinatti to Seattle, and I’ll be back home.

It’s been a wonderful weekend, though. I got to spend some time getting to know my cousins better — one of the downsides to being up in Alaska for much of my life was that I haven’t had as many chances to meet many of my relatives as often as I might have otherwise. Big family get-togethers such as weddings are good for rectifying such situations, though, which was a lot of fun. Mom, Eric and I spent a fun few hours debating politics last night (Susan and Eric form one of the few bastions of Republicanism in our immediate family), and Doug, Pam, Kayt, and Hannah came by our hotel room to visit for a while yesterday, which gave me some time to visit with Kayt (and give her a demo of my iPod that ended with her gently reminding her parents that she’s got a birthday coming up, and the iPod mini‘s are only \$250…).

Anyway, this is coming out all jumbled — I’m still a little out of it (hotel fold-out beds are not comfortable and do not promote a good night’s sleep), and there’s been so much going on this weekend that my brain’s still processing a fair amount of it. Not a bad thing in the least, but I’m sure that it doesn’t necessarily lead to the most coherent narratives. :) So on that note, I think I’m out until I get home.

Well, no, not really “too many.” One hell of a lot, though.

We had our big dinner tonight at Rendevouz, a barbecue joint in downtown Memphis. I walked in, and was amazed — and ended up remarking to mom at one point how much I liked “small weddings.” Final count was forty people. I suppose that doesn’t really sound like all that much, but it was definitely something of a surprise (albeit a pleasant one).

Afterwards Kev and I wandered around Beale Street, apparently the main nightlife district here. Looked like fun, but between lots of people holed up for Valentines day and a chilly, rainy evening, it was apparently much slower than usual. Still, it was at least worth a lot.

I’m going to be crashing out with Em’s family for the night, but at the moment Kev, Wes and I are heading out to a local bar for Kev’s last night out as a bachelor — I’m not sure it’s going to be much of a “bachelor party,” but it’s at least more than just coming straight home and crashing out.

Besides — my little brother’s going to be married in another fourteen hours. I owe him a drink. :)

I’m sitting at the house that Kevin and Emily have been staying at, taking advantage of a momentary lull in the activities of the day to check in for a few minutes.

So far, things have been fairly expectedly hectic. I arrived in Memphis yesterday evening about 7:30pm local time, and Kevin met me at the airport. Mom and Dad were arriving just an hour later, so Kev and I just hung out there for a while, gathered mom and dad when they came off of their plane, and we all found our way back to our hotel.

A late dinner followed at a local restaurant, where the four of us met up with Emily and her parents, Ted and Sally. Lots of good conversation there, as everyone got to know each other (since mom, dad and I had yet to meet any of the rest of Em’s family), until travel caught up with us all and we headed back to the hotel.

Today started really early, with a 9:30am breakfast gathering at Em’s grandparents farm just across the border in Mississippi (so I’m actually adding two states to my “where I’ve been” list than just one on this trip). Lots of people there that I’m having a hard time keeping them all seperate in my head. Myself, mom, dad, Kev, Em, Em’s brothers Ted and Wes and her sister Elizabeth, her parents Ted and Sally, her grandparents, a friend of Em’s from the Peace Corps, and a few other assorted cousins (?) and other relations that I’m losing track of.

More people are coming in over the course of the day today, including my dad’s sister Susan and her son Eric; dad’s brother Doug and his wife Pam, and their daughters Kayt and Hannah; my great-uncle (?) Bob Wills and possibly some of his clan; another of Em’s friends from Peace Corps just showed up; Kev’s currently off attempting to rescue his friend Stuart and his wife Sara from a hotel that apparently overbooked and left them without a room; and I’m sure there are more appearing (or already here) that I’ve forgotten. Considering that Kev and Em were originally just going to “elope” until Em’s aunt convinced them to have a “small wedding” here, the list of names and people involved just seems to get longer and longer every time I turn around!

Right now, with Kev off playing the gallant hero, mom and dad resting at the hotel, much of Em’s family invovled in prearations for tonight’s barbecue gathering (and possibly mini-rehearsal, though we keep being assured that a rehearsal hasn’t been planned), and Em holed up in a room here with her sister and friends working on her dress (or hair, or something…I’m male, I’m not expected to know what’s going on, I think), I’ve ended up without any responsibilities for a few minutes.

And so I’m here.

Now there’s a surprise. ;)

Kev just showed up with Sara (though Stu is still missing in action), so I think I’m expected to interact with people again…