Genealogy Gurus

Used to be a lot of pressure, albeit subliminally, on the male child to carry on the family name. These days of women in marriage, retaining their nees, most of that is over. Still, there lingers, the unspoken obligation on males to recognize the huge responsibility. Most of this burden is due to the game of genealogy  that many ascribe to, for some peculiar reason. There are so many of us flawed human beings around,  a few lost to oblivion might be a good thing. Most people, as I, other than the Family Name seekers, are content to simply "be". Then there are others who delight in learning, albeit rather unreliably, that they are somewhere back there, royalty and delight in telling us. Ad nauseam. And tales, being what on-line genealogy sellers pander to, are that: mere tales and conjecture. The serious religious genealogy  fanatics have a deeper purpose for wanting to delve into their personal pasts. They believe you are going to be recycled after your demise and your origins have a lot to do with the quality of future generations. According to them. I don't know if that sect has  a way to cleanse bad genes, but they must have figured that one out explicably, somehow. Then there are those relatives you run into and wish you hadn't, who quibble over manifestos on immigrant ships and certificates of death and birth proofs tirelessly. They ask you for lists of birthdays and records, lawyer-like for proof.  I can barely remember my own birthday let alone my grandmother's. They hover over your shoulder as you try and pressure you to scout these out. Some even travel afar, to search out  familial ground, the place where those who wish to "sleep in peace" have their graves trod upon and their ancient church records delved up out of the dust of some old crate in an attic. And what does it all add up to? Ego. We all want to learn that we are unique and hopefully walking royalty. Why the latter, is a mystery to me since so many royals are inbred, quirky and filthy rich which might be the reason for their continued existence at all. Not that we can readily access our ancient family coinage. It is always a wonder to me that those who have researched (to death, literally) their heritage, don't seem to find the nut cases or the drunks or the worthless derelicts that must linger  in every family. All of the genealogical babblers, without exception, that I have been bored with, brag about a history "that goes back to the Fifteenth Century my dear", and is absolutely pristine. Only a few pirates, illustrious ones of course, and the odd Genghis Khan, are mentioned. There must be a whole car load of reprobates out there, waiting sadly to be found, and added to the mix.