I spend a lot of time trying not to look to the past, and I advise anyone who will listen to do the same. Most of the time, when we look back, we are reflecting on mistakes. Other than not repeating the error, retro-vision does little good, except in one area; looking back at our ancestors.

Gazing down from your branch of the family tree is an adventure. Like climbing any tree, the higher you are above the trunk, the more exciting it is. I’ve not always been interested in genealogy. I thought the study of ancestry was something old folks did, and I admit, until the last 10 years or so, I’ve not been active in the pursuit of my forebears.

The Princesses have asked me to do some research into who we are. We already have a wonderful tree through my great-great-great grandfather on my side of the family, so there isn’t much work necessary there. One of my favorite pictures is of the girls standing between the gravestones of their great-great-great grandparents. It brings tears when I realize that they represent six generations from them.

The Admiral’s heritage is easy. She is a descendent on her mother’s side of William Fredrick “Wild Bill” Cody. His work has been done back to 1692. Some of her line claims to be Irish nobility. Her father’s line is not as easy, and a lot of research needs to be done for them, so we looked to my mother’s side of the family.

She descends from Wends, a Germanic group of discontented Lutherans who immigrated to Texas in 1854. They have kept excellent records, which we are just delving into, but we will be able to trace this line back to the 1600s. It is exciting to look at some of these pioneering people and feel connected to the history they represent.

I find myself looking back more and more to discover who I am and where I have come from. I have my great-great-grandfather’s journals, and from them, I wrote my first novel, “Where the Mockingbird Sang.” The book deals with his Civil War experiences.

Because of his journaling, I know him, a man I never met, better than I do my own father. My Dad, like so many others, does not think his life is very interesting, so he has not written much down beyond the pertinent dates. I am certain that my great-great-grandfather, when he wrote his journals, never imagined the influences he would have over the lives of so many who have read his books.

The majority of you will have great-great-grandchildren some day. Will they know you beyond your birth, marriage and death dates? You have so much to tell. Write it down.

You all have political leanings; share those with your progeny. If you have children, write down things they did when they were little. Share your religious beliefs and experiences with those to come. Tell of your dreams, your hopes, your fears, your achievements and your failures.

The most fascinating thing I have learned from the written word of my ancestors is that they are just plain folks. I love their writings about the heat in Texas in August, and wonder how they lived without air conditioning. That is a minor thing, but how did they cope?

Sometime in the future, your descendants are going to wonder how you lived without tele-transporters, or how you were able to drive those old clunkers we call cars, and how slow they were!

We all crave immortality. We want to leave a mark on the world, something to say, “Hey, pay attention, I was here.” We can do that by the simple keeping of a journal, or the writing of a personal history that shows more than just dates, but our heart’s feelings, and life’s failings and glories. Share with them. They don’t know you yet, and may never, but they will love you, and don’t we all want that?

David Wilson Atwood is a local writer whose human-interest columns offer a unique perspective. He may be contacted, and his other works viewed, at www.starchasers.us, or david@starchasers.us.