Reconnection, part 2: Jen & Lisa − 1 May, 2007
My immediate family is small -- there's just Mom, Dad, my wife Hannah, and me. And the two dogs.
My extended family, on the other hand, is enormous. My Dad is one of 13 children; my maternal grandparents also came from large families.
Which means, from time to time, I am completely taken by surprise by a reconnection event. I've had two recently -- made possible entirely by the internet, in this case, through my MySpace account.
First, I was contacted by a cousin from my Dad's side, Lisa McCosar. My name is rare enough that often I just sign my last name to documents -- as far as I know, there's no one else with my last name in all of Florida. I've told the story before, but McCosar is an anglicized version of an older, tribal name. It's sort of odd to see someone else with my name! I think in this world of six billion plus, there must be fewer than 100 of us.
Next, I was contacted by a cousin from my Mom's side, Jen Hampton. On the 1st of May, I found a message in my MySpace inbox, and was totally amazed. She and I have been separated by decades and distance. And yet, what do I find?
My extended family, on the other hand, is enormous. My Dad is one of 13 children; my maternal grandparents also came from large families.
Which means, from time to time, I am completely taken by surprise by a reconnection event. I've had two recently -- made possible entirely by the internet, in this case, through my MySpace account.
First, I was contacted by a cousin from my Dad's side, Lisa McCosar. My name is rare enough that often I just sign my last name to documents -- as far as I know, there's no one else with my last name in all of Florida. I've told the story before, but McCosar is an anglicized version of an older, tribal name. It's sort of odd to see someone else with my name! I think in this world of six billion plus, there must be fewer than 100 of us.
Next, I was contacted by a cousin from my Mom's side, Jen Hampton. On the 1st of May, I found a message in my MySpace inbox, and was totally amazed. She and I have been separated by decades and distance. And yet, what do I find?
- She's a musician.
- She's interested in biochemistry.
- Her profile is just flat out interesting and creative.
