With the release of the 1940 Census, we’ve all anxiously awaited the stories we will find. So, a few weeks ago, when Carol called to give me a head’s up that I might be getting a phone call from someone at FamilySearch, I wasn’t surprised. She said he was looking for people to talk to the press about indexing, and since she knew I was an avid indexer, she gave him my name and number. I hung up thinking I had no idea what I would say if he called and hoped that I would not make a fool of myself.
A little while later that same day, I did indeed receive a call from Paul, we talked about my love for indexing and he asked if I might be willing to talk to the press. Visions of a sweet home-town newspaper story ran through my head, and “Sure” rolled out of my mouth.
So a week goes by and I get another phone call. It’s Paul again, from FamilySearch. He says “Pack your bags, we’re sending you to New York!” I laugh, thinking he’s joking, and say “What?” (But in order for you to fully get the effect of how incredibly intelligent my response was, you have to imagine the little minion on Despicable Me when the girl blames the mess in the living room on the minion and he says “Whhaaaaaaat?” If you have not seen the movie, go watch this small clip “Despicable Me Minion What” to see what I’m talking about. Go ahead, I’ll wait……. Got it? Good, now you know how ridiculous I sounded.)
Turns out he wasn’t kidding. He went on to say that the selection committee really enjoyed my story about how I got started, my family’s involvement, and how much we were looking forward to the 1940 Census. He said they would love to have me represent indexers for the 1940 Census Community Project at a press dinner in Manhattan.
National media? Not my local newspapers? I was stunned. Shocked, really. There was probably some inarticulate stammering which may have made Paul wonder if I was the right choice after all, and coupled with the above mentioned “What?”, I’m extremely grateful he was willing to overlook it. So plans were made and a week later I was on a plane to New York.
My flight was great, and when I landed at JFK a Lincoln Town Car was waiting to take me to my hotel, the Affinia Gardens on 64th Street and 3rd Avenue. I was checked in to a fantastic suite on the 8th floor, overlooking a lovely little garden area.
Since I didn’t have to be ready for anything until around 4:30 on Wednesday, I had the whole morning to explore. I went to Central Park, took the subway to the World Trade Center Memorial site and saw what they are building and then went shopping on Canal Street.
It was fabulous! I hopped back on the subway and got some lunch at a great little Chinese place around the corner from the hotel and then it was time to get ready to meet the press! I would like to tell you that I wasn’t the least bit nervous and that I had no worries whatsoever about what kind of impression I would make. I would also like to tell you that I was supremely confident in my ability to express myself and was not in any way intimidated. I would like to tell you all of those things, but I would be lying, so I can’t.
The Community Project is a consortium made up of FamilySearch, Archives.com, FindMyPast.com and the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Representatives from each of the organizations were there and everyone was excited to talk about why the release of the 1940′s Census was so important.
Shortly afterward, the press began arriving for the cocktail hour, followed by a lovely dinner dinner, along with presentations from the distinguished guest speakers Dan Lynch, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Megan Smolenyak, and D. Joshua Taylor.
Afterward, there was just open discussion while dessert was served. It was interesting to me, how much of what was discussed revolved around the stories of the people that the census represented, and how knowing those stories is relevant today, not just on a personal level, but even on a bigger, global scale. It was wonderful to feel like so many of the guests GOT the importance of story. Chris Van Der Kuyl really felt like a kindred spirit with his comments on how the names and dates in all of the documentation provide bits and pieces of the story for those individuals. Combine that with his delightful story of the escaped groundhog at his 5 year old’s birthday party, and I think he’s probably one of my new favorite people.
All in all, it was an incredible experience and not at all nerve-wracking event, and I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to New York . I think I represented indexers and FamilySearch well enough, or at least didn’t embarrass them to a terrible degree, and there have been a few requests for follow up interviews. So what exactly did I tell Paul to get an invitation to New York? You’ll have to check back for part 2 where I share my story of how I got started indexing.
In the meantime, have you completed your family story book yet? If not, there’s still time to get yours. And don’t forget Mother’s day is fast approaching and a book would make the perfect gift!
