When it comes to goal-setting for a new year, my general philosophy is that less is more. I want to be open to the unforeseen directions my research takes me; indulge in the natural twists and turns inherent in family history.
A Recap of the Year That Was
In 2017, I set a handful of goals, including:
- Locate overseas Kirk ancestors and Y-DNA test them.
- Interview family and record more oral histories.
- Write biographies of my ancestors.
I can't say that I outright accomplished any of these goals in their entirety, but I certainly laid a sturdy foundation. And foundations equal progress.
In August, I traveled to Cashel, Ireland where I met a distant paternal ancestor. While I don't think he will Y-DNA test, I've made my inroads into my ancestral homeland. I'm now administering a Y-DNA surname project, which better positions me to achieve this goal this year.
I was derelict in interviewing and recording family. I can and will do better this year. It's too important not to.
Lastly, I still aspire to pen biographical narratives of my direct ancestors. I suppose in a way blogging my research chips away at this goal; however, not really in the way that I envision.
I am very excited about an endeavor - a real passion project - that I spent an entire week off of work writing at the end of December. My first family history book.
The Year Ahead
In 2018, I plan to continue writing the book - a genealogical survey of my fifth great-grandfather Thomas Kirk. Depending on how it shapes up, I may even self-publish it.
This is my primary objective in 2018. It's a slow-going process. Writing up the piles of research I've accumulated on the man has drawn my attention to inconsistencies and, in some cases, even long-overlooked mistakes.
Correcting the historical record has required unanticipated research with new discoveries that are dispelling decades of oft-repeated inaccuracies. Hey, if I'm going to write a book then I want to get it right. I'll take my time on this one.
Of course, the book's conclusion touches on another important goal for 2018, turning to Thomas Kirk's surviving legacy - his DNA coursing through the veins of hundreds of living descendants.
It's my hope that my role as administrator for the new Y-DNA surname group will better illustrate the path my paternal ancestors followed from Ireland to America (allegedly with a stopover at some point in Scotland). Maybe I'll even find distant cousins in the Emerald Isle or elsewhere overseas.
The genealogy journey continues. I wish us all luck as we begin our adventures - all 365 days worth!
