60 Minutes and DNA
I know I’m late to this topic, but the two phrases that keep repeating in my head came at the end of the show.
For those of you who didn’t see it, it’s the story of two people who discover through DNA testing that they are related. One is Vy Higginson, an African American woman from Harlem, and the other is Marion West, a white rancher from Poplar Bluff, Missouri. There have been lots of these sorts of stories lately–even Henry Louis Gates, Jr. discovered his own heritage was 50% European when he was hosting the show about Oprah’s roots. I loved his wry response–what impact this might have on his career. 
At the end of 60 Minutes, Vy and Marion are talking about what this find means. Marion says something like, “This is real life” and Vy says “It’s like learning history through my life.”
Despite the condescension to those of us who use DNA as not really knowing its limitations (see Megan Smolenyak’s post), I found the re-run episode enjoyable. Probably because of Marion and Vy’s responses–they had visited back and forth in each other homes and lives and had embraced their connection.
If you’re going to go hunting ancestors, you have to be ready for what you find. It’s part of the grand adventure.