The Tides of Genealogy

The genealogy bug ebbs and wanes. The excitement of actually finding those you are looking for, sucks you in until the inevitable brick wall stands in your path and frustrates you to no end.

For those who have not tried genealogy or are not interested, it is hard for them to imagine how excited a person can get just by finding a known family member on a census which puts you hot on the trail of others. The excitement rises when you find another ancestor that you had been looking for. Alas, the trails often grow cold or lead to dead ends. There often seems to be no resolution, no resource, nothing that leads to the one you're searching for. This is where we get bored with it all, annoyed, and just plain tired of learning that the records you need, were destroyed.

Just like the tides of the ocean, genealogy research ebbs and wanes. You'll get your awesome surf days with big waves and beautiful skies and you'll get those days where the ocean seems as calm as a pond and the clouds block the sun.

All I can say is to not give up. New records are added to databases every day. New people might have information to give you. Focus on another ancestor if the one you had been searching for, proves elusive. Sometimes, on a sunny day with big waves, that other ancestor will lead you right to the one you were searching for all along and the bug will bite you once again.