The Genealogists' Psalm  

Genealogy is my pastime, I shall not stray.
It maketh me to lie down and examine half-buried tombstones.
It leadeth me into still courthouses;
It restoreth my ancestral knowledge.
It leadeth me in paths of census records & passenger lists for my surname's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the shadows of research libraries & microfilm readers,
I shall fear no discouragement.
For a strong urge is within me; the curiosity & motivation they comforteth me.
It demandeth preparation of storage space for countless documents.
It annointeth my head with burning midnight oil;
My family group sheets runneth over.
Surely birth, marriage, & death dates shall follow me all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of a family history seeker forever.

by Wildamae Brestal 

Genealogist’s Prayer 

 Lord, help me dig into the past,
And sift the sands of time,
That I might find the roots that made
This family tree of mine.  

Lord, help me trace the ancient roads,
On which my fathers trod,
And led them through so many lands,
To find our present sod.  

Lord, help me find an ancient book,
Or dusty manuscript,
That's safely hidden now away,
In some forgotten crypt.  

Lord, let it bridge the gap that haunts
My soul, when I can't find
The missing link between some name
That ends the same as mine.

-Author Unknown 

GENEALOGIST'S DISEASE 

WARNING:             Genealogy Pox, very contagious 

SYMPTOMS:         Continual complaint as to need for names, dates and places.
Patient has a blank expression and sometimes deaf to spouse and children.
Has no taste for work of any kind except feverishly looking through records at libraries and courthouses. Has compulsion to write letters. Swears at the mailman when he doesn't leave mail. Frequents strange places, such as cemeteries, ruins and remote desolate country areas. Makes secret night calls, hides phone bills and mumbles to self. Has strange faraway look in eyes. 

TREATMENT:        Medication is useless, Disease is not fatal but gets progressively worse. Patient should attend workshops subscribe to magazines and be given a quiet corner in the house where they can be alone. 

REMARKS:             The unusual nature of this disease, is the sicker the patient gets, the more they enjoy it. 

(if you know the source of this please let me know so I can cite it. Thanks -- )