Forged by Mystery: How Childhood Playtime Shaped My Genealogy Obsession

I blame Nancy Drew. And Encyclopedia Brown. And every cryptic puzzle in Martin Gardner’s Codes, Ciphers and Secret Writing.

Growing up in the mid-1970s, I devoured mystery books like other kids consumed Saturday morning cartoons. My bedroom floor was littered with Nancy Drew novels, Encyclopedia Brown collections, and dog-eared copies of Kit Williams’ Masquerade—that brilliant 1979 treasure hunt book that had half of England digging up gardens in search of a golden hare. I spent countless afternoons hunched over The Westing Game, trying to solve Ellen Raskin’s intricate puzzle alongside the sixteen heirs in Sunset Towers. And when I finally graduated to adult mysteries, Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot taught me that the smallest inconsistencies in testimony often revealed the biggest lies. Later, Dan Brown’s cryptographic thrillers like The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons showed me how historical puzzles could hide in plain sight, embedded in art, architecture, and ancient texts.

Those books taught me that mysteries were meant to be solved, that every clue mattered, and that the most satisfying discoveries came from careful observation and logical thinking. Little did I know I was training to become a genealogical detective.

When genealogy becomes a game of detective work, magic happens. The #52Ancestors theme of “Playtime” couldn’t be more perfect for exploring one of genealogy’s most rewarding aspects: stepping outside our own family research to help solve someone else’s mystery.

Why Playing Matters in Genealogy

Genealogical play serves multiple purposes beyond simple entertainment. It keeps our research skills sharp, exposes us to new resources, and maintains our enthusiasm for family history work. When we help others with their mysteries, we often stumble upon techniques or sources that prove invaluable for our own research later.

Play also reminds us why we fell in love with genealogy in the first place. Beneath all the careful documentation and methodical research lies a fundamental human story waiting to be discovered. When we approach these stories with playfulness and wonder, we honor both the research process and the people we’re trying to understand.

The Power of Fresh Perspective

One of genealogy’s greatest challenges is overcoming our own assumptions and research blind spots. We develop patterns in how we search, which databases we check first, and how we interpret evidence. While these patterns can be efficient, they can also limit our discoveries.

When we work on someone else’s family, we approach the research without preconceived notions about what we’ll find or where to look. This fresh perspective often reveals possibilities that the person closest to the research might have overlooked.

Lessons in Genealogical Play

Working on genealogical mysteries for others has reinforced several important principles about genealogical play:

Fresh eyes see new possibilities. Working on someone else’s family frees us from our own research assumptions and habitual patterns.

Side quests often lead to treasure. Detours into unfamiliar record sets and research techniques enhance our skills and expose us to new resources.

Collaboration multiplies discoveries. Family knowledge combined with research expertise produces results that neither party could achieve alone.

Play reduces pressure and increases creativity. Without the emotional weight of our own family mysteries, we can approach research with pure curiosity and openness.

Making Time for Play

In our goal-oriented genealogy culture, it’s easy to feel guilty about “playing” with research that doesn’t directly advance our own family trees. But genealogical play isn’t frivolous – it’s essential for maintaining our skills, creativity, and passion for the work.

Consider setting aside time specifically for genealogical play. This might involve:

• Helping a friend or family member with their research
• Participating in online genealogy challenges or projects
• Exploring records from regions where you have no family connections
• Learning new research techniques on unfamiliar family lines
• Contributing to collaborative genealogy projects

The Ripple Effects of Play

When we engage in genealogical play, the benefits extend far beyond the immediate research question. We build relationships with other researchers, expand our knowledge of records and resources, and develop new approaches to problem-solving that enhance all our genealogical work.

Perhaps most importantly, genealogical play reconnects us with the joy of discovery. In a field that can sometimes feel weighed down by the pressure to be accurate and complete, play reminds us that genealogy is fundamentally about curiosity, connection, and the human stories that link us across generations.

Embracing the Detective Within

Every genealogist is part detective, part historian, and part storyteller. When we embrace the playful aspects of this work, we honor all three roles. We approach mysteries with a detective’s curiosity, research with a historian’s thoroughness, and share our discoveries with a storyteller’s joy.

The next time someone asks for help with their family research, consider saying yes. You might be surprised by what you discover – not just about their family, but about new ways of approaching your own genealogical adventures.

After all, the best genealogical discoveries often come when we’re not looking for them directly, but when we’re simply enjoying the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of connecting the dots across generations.