My Sketchy Family

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox.
January 9, 2016 prompt: "Dig into your roots: How far back can you trace your family? What was their life like? Tell a story, share an old family photo, or draw your family tree. If you know nothing, ask a relative for some history to share."

My Sketchy Family 
I should have listened to the stories closer and recorded them in some fashion. Actually, I did try--my Aunt Margie on Daddy's side of the family has had some research done. She compiled the research into a book and sent it to Daddy. During one of my visits I took the book to a copy place and they put in on a thumb drive for me. It opened at the copy place, but I tried to open it a while back, only to find I couldn't open it on my computer. Daddy has since passed and I don't know what became of the book. I recently bought a new laptop, and I thought I'd check to see if I could open the thumb drive now--maybe the programs were not compatible on the old laptop. Unfortunately, not only can I not find that thumbdrive, I can't find any of my discs or other thumb drives. Discs that are filled with my earliest writing attempts and story ideas--and who knows what else. I haven't got a clue. 

When I find the discs and thumb drives, and can open them, it will be like the Christmases of my Childhood--Mama shopped sales throughout the year to provide us with the best she could. She wrapped her purchases and hid them from inquisitive children. Often times she would not label them--or she would write a name so small we couldn't read it. If she found the presents before Christmas they would be under the tree Christmas morning. If she couldn't read her notation of who it was for, either my Sister or I opened the mystery gift and gave it to the intended recipient. When I find those discs and thumb drives it'll be Christmas surprises all over again.

Speaking of Mama, she also paid to have her side of the family researched when she hit a dead end. Unfortunately, she says the information the paid researcher found and her own research are not compatible. 

Depending upon who you believe, I may be of royal descent. I may be from Ireland or Scotland. I may have Indian blood from any, or all, of the following tribes: Creek, Choctow, or Cherokee. I may be inderectly related to Colonel William Barrett Travis of Alamo fame (through his brother). I may be related to a gambling Louisiana steamboat Captian of shady character, who may have been a fugitive from the law. And I may be the descendant of a woman captured by Indians whose long hair saved her from being killed--a photo of her hair pooling at her feet is supposedly in a long lost Oklahoma History textbook.

It really doesn't matter which, if any, of the stories are true, if any of the stories have even a shred of exaggerated truth, or if they are total fabrications--I am secure in who I am. I do not need the accomplishments or notoriety of long dead folk to validate who I am today: a child of The King.

However, I am not averse to laying claim to any and all of the above on any given day.