I've thought about joining 52 Ancestors but some of the prompts don't match any of my ancestors. Should I join anyway?

Question

Hi everyone! I have thought about joining 52 Ancestors but for some of the prompts I have no ancestor matching the prompt. Should I join anyway? If so, what should I do about the prompts with no ancestor matching it?

Comments

Go for it Greta! I too have had to stretch! My "disaster" week was a real stretch :) However I am so glad I chose to do the challenge. Reading everyone's responses is so enlightening and writing my own gets not only my thinking juices flowing but gives me the opportunity to revist and improve on my family profiles :)

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Thabks Lyn!

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If you are an extrovert, you should definitely go for it.  If you are an introvert, you will quickly lose interest in the project.

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Hi J! I'm an introvert but on WikiTree I'm a bit extroverted.

Answer 1

You can do as much or as little as you like. Sometimes a little lateral thinking enables you to put an entry in. It really is a way to stretch your imagination and maybe point you toward new sources.

Have fun with it !

Comments

Thanks Marion!

Answer 2

Does not have to be an ancestor - it could be ANY relative - a sibling of an ancestor - even someone from the in-laws family - or any in-laws family.

Could be the family member of anyone who married into your family. The spouses of your aunts, your uncles, your cousins, your nieces and nephews

Does not even need to be related to you.

I have used my spouses relatives and ancestors on the odd occasion - and they are HIS ancestors, not mine!! LOL

There is NO hard and fast rule.

Comments

Thanks Robynne!

Answer 3

I agree with both Marion and Robynne -- especially "there is NO hard and fast rule" and "have fun with it". Good luck!

Comments

Thanks Robin! :)

Answer 4

I would-if nothing else, it's always possible to symbolically interpret the questions.  Symbolism and philosophy can really open some possibilities.

Comments

Thanks K! Good idea!

Answer 5

Greta, I had last year big fun doing the 52 ancestors. Amy gives an explanation to the prompt, but you can do anything with them. I had to stretch some of the prompts also to find a match. For example I didn't have a thief in my ancestry, but my granduncle called the GDR a thief, because the authorities didn't allow him to go to the FRG to the burial of his nephew. But because I had to stretch the prompts more often than I actually wanted I decided not to join anymore this year.

Comments

That's an interesting interpretation you did regarding your grand uncle.

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I ended up last year with some interpretations that really stretched the definition, so I gave up in about week 39.

This year I am not trying to do the consecutive weeks, but follow the tag and answer when I have something coherent to submit.

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This could be a possible idea. Thanks Sally!

Answer 6

It should be mainly for fun. There's no penalty for not answering every week. Try it and some fun. If you don't like it you're under no obligation to continue. Throw some caution to the wind and go with the flow!

Comments

Thanks Bill!

Answer 7

Absolutely!  I did and I'm kinda like you.   But I'm gonna keep on trying to find the right ancestor to add with a good story.  You'll be surprised at what you can come up with.