Some laughed at me when I told them I had purchased a DNA test via Groupon.
It’s not the company that’s discounted, it’s the fee for their services. I checked them out and they’re legit. So a couple of months ago I ponied up my $69 and sent off my saliva swab. The results came back and they were a little anticlimactic.
You can get a very expensive DNA mapping that will tell you whether you’re predisposed to certain diseases or addictions or whether you’ll end up with male pattern baldness. That kind of detail is reserved only for the wealthy. What I got was a reading of my general genetic makeup and a rather fascinating booklet about the history of humans on this planet. I’m 86% European and 14% sub-Saharan African. It’s not surprising in the least. The first humans were in Africa so we all have some of that origin in our DNA. I like to think about that when I’m faced with blatant racism against African-Americans or Canadians. If only you could see your DNA you fool!
The very generalized European part is Scottish, Irish, English and Polish. I already know that from research a relative conducted years ago and from knowing a thing or two about my Grandparents. It’s fascinating to look at your family tree as it dates back a few centuries. In our case, one side of my father’s distant relatives were slave owners and the other side were slave-freers.
If your grandparents are alive, or if you are a grandparent, please share everything you know about your family because once you’re gone, those facts and stories are gone too. I know I’m not alone in wishing I was mature enough and interested enough back when they were around, to ask them the questions I’d love to have answered now.