My dad has a cousin who’s really interested in genealogy. I think it’s pretty interesting, too, but she’s actually, like, done stuff with her interest.*A few years ago at a family reunion, this cousin did a little presentation on her findings. I don’t remember everything she said, but one of the highlights was that our ancestors had lived in Williamsburg, VA (which is one of my favorite places) at the same time as Thomas Jefferson. So I’m sure my family was totally friends with Jefferson, and they probably had a very strong influence on him and his politics and his writings, and my family is probably the reason the United States of America exist. So, you’re welcome.
 
Another highlight from the presentation is that my family descended from Charlemagne. Yep, the Charlemagne who was Emperor. I’ve enjoyed telling people once, maybe twice, that I’m kind of royalty.

I was recently watching something on The History Channel about the Middle Ages, and was enjoying a segment on Charles the Hammer, who I had never heard of but who had an awesome name and kind of single-handedly saved Western Europe from invasion. Then, the narrator moves on to The Hammer’s offspring, which included his son, Pepin the Short, and his grandson, Charlemagne. Yes, that makes me a descendent of Charles the Hammer, and I think that’s fantastic. 

And, I just thought of this, my family really is the reason the United States exist! If Charles the Hammer hadn’t put the hammer down on those invaders, Western Europe would have been completely different. I’m afraid to go into the way in which it would be different, as it may make me seem politically incorrect, but let’s just say that the founding fathers would not have had the same historical and cultural influences to draw from without The Hammer (and Charlemagne, of course). So, seriously, you’re welcome.
 
 
*I recently looked into joining Ancestry.com, but it turns out that costs not a little amount of money. Oh well, saves you guys from lots of posts about my ancestry. I’ll just have to make this one count!