holy shit

My dad's family has always been really big on genealogy -- which means that we have for many years known, conclusively, that we are not related to anyone of any historical importance. We are poor American farmers who descended from poor Irish farmers.

Until today, though, I never knew anything about my mom's side. I'd ask her every now and then and she'd claim ignorance. Just a few minutes ago, though, I was sitting here with my gun-toting grandfather and he started reminiscing about the old days so I decided to ask if he knew anything about the history of this side of the family.

He thought about it a minute and told me what he knew about his own family's unremarkable genealogy. Then I asked if he knew anything about my grandmother's side. (I'd ask her, but she's dead now.) He gave me some countries (England, Germany) then he said, "Well, you know she was descended from John Marshall... Chief Justice John Marshall."



Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit, as my stepmother might say.

For those of you who didn't go to law school with me, John Marshall is the father of constitutional law and, in my opinion, the most important Supreme Court Justice in the history of the court. And I've got his blood in my veins. And that's pretty fucking cool, as far as I'm concerned.