This week’s theme is “Bald”. I admit, this one threw me a bit, and I was not sure what to write about. So, I started with the traditional meaning, lack of hair. I thought about the men in my family, such as my dad. Most of his life, he was clean cut. But he did go through what I referred to as his “Willie Nelson” phase. I’ll never forget flying to Florida for a visit, getting off the plane, and there is my dad, in western attire, long hair, lacking on top, and the bandanna around his neck. Now it makes me smile, but my 22-year-old self was embarrassed!

I also started looking into other meanings. The Collins Dictionary (https://www.collinsdictionary.com) mentions synonyms for bald include simplicity, austerity, bleakness, or starkness. As an adjective, bald statements are plain and direct.

Genealogical writing, from my viewpoint, could take two directions. One is the communication of the bald facts of our history. For example, I recently discovered evidence corroborating the plain fact one of my great-grandmothers was a resident of an institution called Craig Colony. The purpose of the place was to treat poor people who suffered from epilepsy. But I attended a talk yesterday about the Colony, where the authors took those “bald” facts, and created a book of history. They “humanized” the facts of this place, bringing these people, and this place to life.

One of the genealogist’s I follow posed a question about the difference between genealogy and family history. I tend to think we can’t have one without the other. Facts can stand alone. The stories of these families bring them to life. Once they are told, and written down, they cannot be forgotten. So, while I love “bald” facts, I love the stories even more. I encourage you to write down your family stories, your own experiences, your own life story. If I can help you in any way with your family history, or finding out the facts of your family, please reach out to me for a free consultation.