{"id":57249,"date":"2020-03-25T11:30:55","date_gmt":"2020-03-25T15:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=57249"},"modified":"2023-09-27T11:48:31","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T15:48:31","slug":"a-genealogists-perspective-documenting-this-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/a-genealogists-perspective-documenting-this-pandemic.html","title":{"rendered":"A Genealogist\u2019s Perspective: Documenting This Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article \u2013 to help genealogists in this time of the coronavirus pandemic \u2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega describes ways family historians can document this experience for the benefit of our descendants. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

As family historians our focus is steadily on the past. We sometimes believe the past and our ancestors are far more fascinating than what happens in our own lives. When I ask people if they are documenting their own lives, they predictably answer: \u201cWho is going to want to read that?\u201d But documenting our lives will be important for the generations that descend from us and want to learn about our moment in time.<\/p>\n

Right now, we are living in \u201cinteresting\u201d circumstances. I keep hearing people say nothing like this has ever happened before. But actually, this has<\/em> happened before: many of the situations we are now facing occurred during the 1918 Flu Pandemic. Imagine if your ancestor kept a diary during that time and you could read about what they went through!<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: microscopy image showing SARS-CoV-2, also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes Coronavirus disease, COVID-19. Credit: NIAID; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why not make a commitment to documenting your life in the time of COVID-19 so that your grandchildren and their grandchildren can learn what your everyday life was like during this difficult time?<\/p>\n

How do you document your life during a pandemic? Here are a few ideas.<\/p>\n

Start with a Timeline<\/strong><\/p>\n

I always emphasize the importance of creating timelines for the ancestors you research, but now is a good time for you to start one for your own life during this pandemic. My timeline includes the date we had to move my son out of his university dorm, and when our county announced that only essential services would remain open.<\/p>\n

Dates on your timeline could include:<\/p>\n