I wasn't sure how having "non-genealogists" as keynote speakers would work at a genealogy convention, but all of the presentations have been fantastic. Their connection to the genealogical community is emotional and extraordinary. You can watch these Keynotes online at RootsTech.org. Please take the time to do so. Back to the greeting by Shipley Munson. The first speaker is Todd Hansen of the Story Trek, a BYU TV production. The connection with stories is obvious. If you haven't seen the show, you can watch it on BYUTV.org. The core of the Story Trek is families. To make it on the show you need a story. You can do the same thing with a pencil and piece of paper.
Aren't we all in the same business? Aren't we all doing the same things? The Keynote speakers highlighted this fact. If we record a story or upload a photograph, that is family history and in my view, genealogy. We all need this attitude. We need to inclusive and not exclusive. RootsTech 2014 has highlighted that fact better than any previous conference in the past. Let's carry the RootsTech 2014 experience with us a guide. We will all be changed by our experience here in Salt Lake City, Utah this week. Some more than others, but we will all be changed.
His message is that we are all part of the story. All of us have a really good story to tell. We are all brought together by an amazing series of events. He cannot tell all the stories. We need to tell all the stories. Move towards the goal of becoming a reporter and curator. Part of us is part of everyone else. Well, it occurs to me that I am part of the story also. I guess it is time to get back to the story. How can I get more time to write more?
Spokesman for Ancestry.com, I need to get his name, talks about new developments in DNA and its future. He introduces Stephanie Nielson. She has been a part of our life for a long time. She lived in Mesa and we knew her through friends. She was involved in a horrendous airplane crash and was terrifically burned over 80% of her body. Her family took over and helped with her children and other family affairs. If you do not know this story, you need to make it part of your life. I cannot do justice to Stephanie's own narrative. You can read the NieNie Dialogues. Can you tell your story through a blog? See Stephanie's book, Nielson,
Stephanie, and Amy Ferguson Hackworth. Heaven Is Here: An Incredible Story of Hope, Triumph, and Everyday Joy. New York: Voice/Hyperion, 2012.
I am not sure how RootsTech 2015 can top these Keynote presentations or even equal them. Way to go RootsTech. Thanks for the wonderful experiences. We hope to see you again next year. Keep up the good work.
February 11 through the 14th, 2015. See you there next year.
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