A Proud Heritage
Even when I was a small girl, and especially as an adult I've enjoyed pondering who exactly I am. I mean, not so much my occupation and personality but my genetic makeup and my heritage. To my way of thinking, that is far more significant than what one does for a living or their individual intricacies as a person. How thrilled I was as a child to learn that I had ancestors who fought in the American Revolution and the Civil War! That was thanks to my Aunt's diligence in tracing our families roots. Knowing of some of my ancestors gave me a sense that I was someone important and special. That I was at least a thread in the great tapestry of history.
Americans along with Australians (and possibly some other nationalities as well) are unique in some respects in that we are a product of the melting pot phenomenon. Some of us see ourselves as mongrels. We feel a need to define ourselves as more than just merely "American", so we say that we are Irish, Russian or African for example, when we were not born in that country. (Personally, that's always bugged me a bit. Any one born in the USA should be proud enough to call themselves American and 'nuff said!) Others think of it as combining the strengths of various races and cultures toward a unique individual.
I prefer that way of thinking, but I won't take either side of the argument as it does not interest me as much as what I like to consider. I'd rather learn about who my ancestors were. How they survived, what was good and bad about them, their art and beliefs, and how they saw the world around them.
Four headings come to mind when I think about my heritage. First, I'm an American. That is geographic, really. Secondly, I am a Southerner. Thirdly, I'm of Celtic descent; Irish and Scots. Lastly, I'm of Germanic ancestry. My paternal great-great Grandfather brought that into the mix, having hailed from Austria. I've learned in the last several years that very ancient Celtic artifacts were found in a place in Austria called Haldstadt. Found in a salt mine, they were quite well preserved and much was learned from finding them. I do not feel my Germanic roots as I do the Celtic roots, so I won't speak much about it. (More importantly here, I have not learned much about it and don't think I should write about what I do not know.) I truly do feel like a citizen of the United States of America, and I'm proud to live here. If I were to be honest, however, I feel more emotion about being a Southerner. I think I feel most emotion about my Celtic lineage and Southern roots.
I intend to update here often as my journey into my heritage continues. For now, I have a plenty of links to explore.
Family Connections
The Cumming Clan
The "Gentle" Johnston/es
The Gathering of the Clans
Kelly
My Own Works
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