(I'm going to leave the surnames blank, because I don't have time for a flood of responses from various lists)

Ten years ago, I thought because I knew my 3rd GGF's name and where his son died, that it would be easy to get started in genealogy. I went to a FHC to start looking through the census for 1850 Wilson Co., TN looking for a 5 year old boy named Napoleon Bonapart B____, son of a Mark B__. None to be found. I was so disheartened, I gave up my seat at the microfilm reader, sat in the "book" department, and wondered what to do with the rest of my time before having to drive home empty-handed. A large book across the room caught my eye, and out of curiosity, I picked it up. It was "History of Smith Co., TN". I didn't even know where Smith Co. was located, but turned to the index & found many entries for my "surname". I began reading the various articles, but there were no familiar names. Again, discouraged, I went across the street for lunch, and the name "Americus" kept running through my brain. It was such an odd name I had read that morning in the book, and I mused whether the poor guy had used a nickname & what could it have been... Mark?? I raced back to the FHC, pulled the Smith Co., TN 1850 census & there was my 2nd GGF, Napoleon B___, the 5 year old son of Americus B__. I've been hooked on genealogy ever since, and my serendipity experiences have never ceased!