Geni

Where one comes from is central to our identity, as well as our destination—that is, where we’re going. Geni is a website that lets you create personalized family trees to trace your lineage. It’s a sort of combo of social networking and genealogical research, as you’re able to connect with family members and build on the information they’ve added; at its best, Geni becomes something of a collaborative family project to organize and research your family history. It’s easy to start your own tree: You just need an email address and some spare time on your hand. Adding mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, etc., on an on, is as easy as clicking a few buttons and recording the relevant details, from your great-aunt’s date of birth to the sepia-toned baby photos of your grandpa. Even as I click and fool around, creating the permanence of a family tree seems to enhance my solidity in this universe; now that I know where I am coming from, I actually care about where I am going. And maybe it’ll do the same for you.