Finders, Keepers, Losers

It is said that a person can't see the forest for the trees when they are focusing on the details instead of the 'big picture'. But sometimes, the devil is in the details . Go for a walk through the woods and you will see that there are a variety of trees that make up the forest, with the exception being Pando, the ' one tree ' forest. Where there is fertile ground there is opportunity for a variety of life giving trees. Trees don't just grow anywhere. They are specific to different environments. I have received the big picture which is the broad genetic makeup of who I am. On this search, I'm finding that this forest of who I am is not only made up of the few trees I knew as its foundation. There's a lot more to the story than I ever considered. I have a list of strangers who have done this same voluntary DNA test--people who for the most part, I have been determined to have a blood connection to. We've never met, never heard of one another...

Bloodhounds are known for their ability to track an individual over many miles. They can pick up the scent of one person and not get sidetracked as other people's scents are around them. There is something about a person that makes them so distinct that they can be found by their own smell. In the days of slavery, these dogs were invaluable to capturing runaways. We've seen this depicted in films about that era in America. People would try to find a river to hide in so the dog would lose their scent. While a slave was hunting freedom, a dog was hunting his capture. I've got European descent in my blood. We can't trace any of our family to white relatives, but there is a significant enough amount to prove by DNA that I am certainly related to people who have no trace of African descent in their blood. I don't know if this was voluntary, but what I do know is that it was a secret no matter if it was by rape or consent that brought me here to this day. People ima...

It is often said that if you want to know how another person really feels, you should pay more attention to their body language than their words. We can craft our sentences and vocal variety to reveal the message that we want to get across, while our bodies are telling a story that we'd like to keep hidden. At the same time, body language is specific to different people. An angry person folding their arms is not the same as a perpetually cold person who subconsciously holds their arms to their body while keeping a straight face. It's easy to make mistakes interpreting body language. Have you ever thought someone was really into you (or they thought you were into them) because of a seemingly flirtatious grin, only to find out that unlike most people you know, they just have a genuinely welcoming smile that feels attractive? Body language may in fact tell us more than the spoken word, but interpreting that language can still prove impossible at times. There is a different type ...

Have you ever showed up to a backyard family function where you didn't really know anyone there? Maybe your parents took you to this reunion or cookout where the only people you know are the ones you came with. There are some awesome people at these gatherings. There's the real fly cousin in her early 20s with the short shorts on, gold herringbone necklaces and flat stomach. That must be nice. Next, we have the people who look obviously out of place. These are the in-laws. They don't say too much, they just kind of hover around the family members they married into while their spouse tests the waters and searches for connection bit by bit with people who look like they are the same age as them. There are the kids who run around all over the place. They just met 5 minutes ago. They showed up in white, but have managed to return to their parents covered in brown mud from rolling around in the grass. There is the person who is in charge of the whole shing-dig. They are the o...