Name Game
Him: What are you going to do with your name?
Me: I'm still thinking about hyphenating it. I'm not sure yet. I'm going back and forth, maybe hyphenating it for my legal name, but using my current name at work and stuff. Btw - how do you feel about hyphenating?
Him: Um, I don't think I want to take your ex-husband's name.
Me: Wow. I hadn't thought of it that way. I think of it as my name.
Him: How long have you had it?
Me: Since I was 22. It's my 'grown-up name'. It's been my name since just before I finished my undergrad - I was pretty much dependent on my folks through college, then I got married. I pretty much entered the world as a grown-up with that name. It's who I am. Wow. Now I'm having an identity crisis.
For a while now, I'd been thinking of hyphenating my name in most of my life, but keeping my current name at work. Now I'm rethinking that idea. It's not a huge deal to change it at work. It's not like I have a clientele I'm worried about not being able to find me (my families are generally assigned to service providers by geography or open slots in schedules, not by which service providers they want), or co-workers who will get me confused with someone else. So keeping my old name for professional reasons is not a necessity. Going back to my maiden name plus hyphenating makes for an icky-sounding name, we both agreed.
Him: You do know I don't need you to change your name, right? I still know who you are; I'll still know you're my wife.
Me: :)
Me: I'm still thinking about hyphenating it. I'm not sure yet. I'm going back and forth, maybe hyphenating it for my legal name, but using my current name at work and stuff. Btw - how do you feel about hyphenating?
Him: Um, I don't think I want to take your ex-husband's name.
Me: Wow. I hadn't thought of it that way. I think of it as my name.
Him: How long have you had it?
Me: Since I was 22. It's my 'grown-up name'. It's been my name since just before I finished my undergrad - I was pretty much dependent on my folks through college, then I got married. I pretty much entered the world as a grown-up with that name. It's who I am. Wow. Now I'm having an identity crisis.
For a while now, I'd been thinking of hyphenating my name in most of my life, but keeping my current name at work. Now I'm rethinking that idea. It's not a huge deal to change it at work. It's not like I have a clientele I'm worried about not being able to find me (my families are generally assigned to service providers by geography or open slots in schedules, not by which service providers they want), or co-workers who will get me confused with someone else. So keeping my old name for professional reasons is not a necessity. Going back to my maiden name plus hyphenating makes for an icky-sounding name, we both agreed.
Him: You do know I don't need you to change your name, right? I still know who you are; I'll still know you're my wife.
Me: :)