So, a Polymath I am!
It’s not that a Polymath is inept, its more that we are multifaceted.
A Polymath, perhaps better known by the more derogative description of a “Jack of All Trades, and Master of None!”. At least thats how my Dad probably would have described me!
I say would have, because before Dad passed, He and I became great friends and I now believe that He may descibe me differently.
See, it’s not that a Polymath is inept, it’s more that we are multifaceted.
It’s not even that we necessarily have a short attention span, it just that our curiosity leads us to explore many avenues. For me, some of those interests have spanned decades. Researching, learning, exploring, etc.
Family History and Genealogy for example has been one of my passions for nearly 35 Years! PubMed has an article, The 10 000-Hour Rule, and it refers to book “Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell, and quotes him saying, “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.” Gladwell asserts that the key to achieving true expertise in any skill is simply a matter of practicing, albeit in the correct way, for at least 10 000 hours. I estimate that even if I just averaged an hour a day for 35 Years that I’ve spent over 12,000 Hours learning, researching, and enthralled with Family History and Genealogy! I’m still Learning!
My Dad, Vic, and I had several conversations on the topic and although it began with me seeking his knowledge, before he passed He’d often ask me!
I’ve also published a couple of Books, Growing Your Family Tree and From Irish Roots. Both spent time on Amazon’s Best Seller Lists.
The Book, “Growing Your Family Tree — Sorting the Wheat from the Chaff” will be of particular interest to those with Ancestry in Nova Scotia, and Atlantic Canada, but the scope of the book does go beyond those areas, and I refer to it as the Book I wish I had when I got started! From Irish Roots is a more ligh hearted read, in which I ask? “What do you think of when You think of Ireland?”
For me it’s Potatoes, Recipes, Folklore, Family, and I think it is so, for all of us who grow “From Irish Roots”. Which sort of brings me to some of my other interests, like Gardening, Cooking, Baking, Stories and Story Telling, and Herbs and Remedies, and Folk Medicine, and …
Well, I’ll close for now, and tell You more on those later!
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