The following was taken from an internet family list site, author unknown, but it cried out to be included here. So to whoever composed this list, thank you for telling it like it is.
The Laws of Genealogy
The document containing evidence of the missing link in your research invariably will be lost to fire, flood or war.
The keeper of the vital records you need will have just been insulted by another genealogist.
Your great-great grandfather's obituary states that he died, leaving no issue of record.
The town clerk you wrote to in desperation, and finally convinced to give you the information you need, can't write legibly, and doesn't have a copying machine.
The will you need is in the safe on board the "Titanic.'
The spelling of your European ancestor's name bears no relationship to its current spelling or pronunciation.
That ancient photograph of four children, one of whom is your progenitor carries the names of the other three.
Copies of old newspapers have holes which occur only on last names.
No one in your family ever did anything noteworthy, always rented property, was never sued and was never named in wills.
You learned that Great Aunt Matilda's executor just sold her life's collection of family genealogical materials to a flea market dealer 'somewhere in New York City.'
Yours if the only last name not found among the 3 billion in the world famous Mormon Archives in Salt Lake City.
Ink fades and paper deteriorates at a rate inversely proportional to the value of the data recorded.
The 37 volume. sixteen thousand page history of your country of origin isn't indexed.
The critical link in your famiiy tree is named 'Smith.'
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