Beyond Fiction

OK, I know I occasionally ramble and just write things that make people scratch their heads but I do have something on my mind today that I would like to address. It was sparked to thought in my mind by an article that I read on the web while at work. I’m limited to The New York Times so I check out the Technology blogs occasionally. Here is a link to the article:

How Many Web Services Can One Person Use?

I began to think about what all I have going on in my life:

1. I’m trying to get my genealogy research together and get it all published on my web site.
2. I’m trying to organize and scan all my pictures.
3. I’m trying to start a forum on my web site.
4. I’m trying to start a wiki on my web site.
5. I’m trying to write a blog.
6. I’m trying to keep up with what is happening on Facebook.
7. I’m trying to keep up with all my “friends” on MySpace.
8. I’m trying to maintain my reading of all my favorite genealogy blogs.
9. I’m trying to venture into the blogs concerning frugal living and smart money practices. (Yep! :-))
10. Oh yeah, don’t forget about Twitter.

Of course, the number of sites I would like to check out that I know would probably help me is huge.

All of this is on top of trying to work my job, spend time with my wife and two daughters and also take time to write or call my son! Of course, there is also my son’s wedding coming up in 2 months and, of course, the birth of my first grandchild in February!

It really is very overwhelming. I originally started my website as a way of making my research available to my relatives and that lead to the forum, blog and eventually a wiki. MySpace is something that has caused me more headache than it has helped and Facebook was originally just a way of helping with a cause. Now I have so many “friends” and I am overwhelmed at the number of invites for this and that.

Suddenly, the joy is gone from my research and I feel almost like it is a job to keep up with all of this. What happened? Where did the fun go to?

I’m really thinking about how to get things under control and get back to doing what I enjoy doing. I’m really glad to have made so many friends online through Facebook and MySpace but do I really need these services? Isn’t that why I started my web site? If I wanted to have a “community” then that is why I started my Message Board (forum). If I want to interact with my fellow bloggers can I not just click on a button to email them or comment on their posts? If I desire information from my relatives can I not get that information from them via the Message Boards or Wiki?

Does this mean I will soon be deleting my Facebook account or my MySpace account? I’m not really sure. I have to reevaluate what tools are vital in my research and what tools are actually taking time from my research. I’m sure everyone in the genealogy community has had to deal with these questions but I now find myself facing them.

Whatever I do decide to do, I will make sure I post here to let everyone know of my decisions before doing anything. I want to try to avoid hurting any feelings or causing anyone to feel like I am a terrible person because I deleted them from my “friends”. I just feel like my life has spun out of my own control and I don’t like that feeling. It’s time for me to reclaim my time and use it a little more wisely. I’m not “OLD” but I am realizing that we are not promised tomorrow. I want to take advantage of the time I have. I want to spend more time with my family and enjoy them while I have the time. At the same time, I want to finish publishing my research for future generations to enjoy.

I guess you can say that I am ready for some “Spring Cleaning” but it’s being done in the Fall!

Have a great week everyone!