This happened to me when I was 15 years old —
During my first admission to the college , I was required to fill up a very elaborate form giving personal particulars . One of the item said ” Family History ” . As I was very proud of my family lineage with roots running back up to a noble in the King’s court of erstwhile Travancore State in South India , I wrote a brief on my family giving rich tribute to my maternal ancestors and handed over the admission form to the clerk .
The clerk called me and gave me a long look and laughed . He gave me a new form to fill up and told me to write against the item ” Family History ” if there is any hereditary disease running in the family !!. . The King’s court with all its splendor vanished in thin air and I did not know where to hide !!. Thank God no one else was watching.