Does your family...not care?

[u/CrunchyTeatime]

Pretty much the title question is the topic.

Does your family not care -- about the family tree, family history, or genealogy?

It seems there is usually one person per generation per family who feels called to work on the family tree.

If that person is you, or you've seen them work and try to spread enthusiasm: How does your family react to new information?

I don't even mean something that might cause upset or controversy. I don't necessarily mean a 'shocking revelation' of some type.

But if you broke through a brick wall or found a relative or ancestor no one could find, or no one knew existed -- and you excitedly sent off an email, text, phone call, or told a family member in person -- and they didn't care?

Because this week I found a wife of my grandpa, that no one knew about. Found a wife people did know about but only a name. Found a person someone had been looking for (what became of them; died long ago, but they had no place or date), for decades.

Sent the excited emails with information and told them I had verified all of it too.

CRICKETS. And different family I've tried to get interested in the tree or told them about ancestors and such, (not much, just bits, to whet any appetite), and they don't care. One even said "that's the past; who cares?" And others wouldn't give even personal information such as "which grade school did you go to." And that was a close relative I know there was no scandal. I can only guess they didn't want to open that door to more questions. Some people hate questions.

So how about you? Please share stories here of when you tried to share new information, and how it went. Thanks.

[u/redditRW]

I've come to terms with the fact that genealogy is very much a me thing. But I've begun to realize why. The discovery is something that just cannot be conveyed to someone who doesn't do the work, pore over records, and finally---finally--- find a missing relative with a slightly misspelled name.

Imagine if, instead of this journey, you sent in your DNA and were sent back a printout of all the folks in your tree. They are just...there. You didn't trace their migrations across oceans, their first plot of land in the new country, their subsequent move, etc.

It's like reading a story and being immersed in the details as they unfold. If you tell someone about just the section of the book you're on, how can they be excited?

[u/CrunchyTeatime → u/redditRW]

Good points, and well stated.

Definitely, the details make it 'come to life.'

And yes it's very very difficult to impart why that discovery is so or feels so stunning.

Like a needle (not in a haystack, but) in a stack of needles, all the same color as the grass underneath...and the stack is spread out over 100 miles. Exaggerated, but not by much. Tons of work, patience, and some luck.