History is a passion and Family History is a path into human history itself. In genealogy, this refers to both the certified documents that testify to your family's activites, and to the tall tales that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Every family has its saints and sinners, its wizards and fools, its princes, paupers and grinches; and they all come together in the genealogist's narrative.
Once again we are so lucky to have resources like the Parchemin project which has set about indexing every notarized document in existence, both in France and in Québec, involving any connection between those two jurisdictions. Land titles, contracts, inventories, wills, and court transcripts, etc.
On a more personal level, no matter how shy or nervous you might feel, begin immediately to tape every Baril you know over the age of 80!!! Photograph them and do their ascendancy. All you have to do is review that ascendancy with them and they will regale you with amazing stories! The best ones will be about your own parents and relatives, leaving you laughing one moment and sobbing the next with new-found sympathy and understanding.