Saturday, August 7, 2010
Lucky Me--My Share of Great Audiences
Recently I spoke to the N.E. Alabama Genealogical Society in Gadsden, AL. What a responsive group with great audience attention and good questions/discussion at the end of the program. This is just one example of the many groups of people I've come into contact with as I travel around speaking at libraries, schools, community clubs, churches and more.
I've had the priviledge of meeting so many interesting and inquisitive people of all ages. It's great for a speaker when you arrive, and instantly you can tell this is going to be a welcoming audience. I've had so many good experiences, and I feel blessed for that.
As often happens with groups who pursue serious genealogy research, I met a number of people at the end of this recent program who all said, "Wow, I've been researching for years, and I never thought about including my children or grandchildren. Your program makes me see that I should have. So I plan to start telling stories and sharing information about our ancestors and see if I can interest them."
This is gratifying for me as the program presenter when a lightbulb goes on in the audience's head, and they grasp one of my main points-- If you want the family history of your family to continue, you have to get the kids involved and interested. That's what my book is all about--connecting families and strengthening family ties in a world that is so full of family division and mobility these days. (Digging From Attics To Basements) Our children need to know who/where they came from, and they need the self-identity and self-esteem that comes from knowing you're part of a family line.
I have really enjoyed traveling around, presenting programs and meeting people in GA, FL and all over AL. It emphasizes to me that even though there is a lot wrong in our world, there are still many good citizens, genuine warm people, and great audiences, and I've had the pleasure of meeting many of them.
I've had the priviledge of meeting so many interesting and inquisitive people of all ages. It's great for a speaker when you arrive, and instantly you can tell this is going to be a welcoming audience. I've had so many good experiences, and I feel blessed for that.
As often happens with groups who pursue serious genealogy research, I met a number of people at the end of this recent program who all said, "Wow, I've been researching for years, and I never thought about including my children or grandchildren. Your program makes me see that I should have. So I plan to start telling stories and sharing information about our ancestors and see if I can interest them."
This is gratifying for me as the program presenter when a lightbulb goes on in the audience's head, and they grasp one of my main points-- If you want the family history of your family to continue, you have to get the kids involved and interested. That's what my book is all about--connecting families and strengthening family ties in a world that is so full of family division and mobility these days. (Digging From Attics To Basements) Our children need to know who/where they came from, and they need the self-identity and self-esteem that comes from knowing you're part of a family line.
I have really enjoyed traveling around, presenting programs and meeting people in GA, FL and all over AL. It emphasizes to me that even though there is a lot wrong in our world, there are still many good citizens, genuine warm people, and great audiences, and I've had the pleasure of meeting many of them.
Labels: Experiences as a Speaker
