Stuff

What's in a name?

I’ve always hated my last name. Let’s face it, it sounds like a bug no one likes only spelled wrong (and no one pronounces it right, although I suspect neither do I, without the yiddish horking and rolling ch). Pretty much my whole name is pretty boring.

When I was about nine or ten, I started using my middle initial to jazz up my name. I used it on everything. And it stuck. My driver’s license, my SIN, my credit cards, the deed to my house, all have my name with my middle initial. Yes, most people don’t do that. I think that’s probably why I started in the first place. But now, twenty-odd years later, it’s become such a prevalent part of my name and my identity, that I don’t really think about it, I just keep using it. And, as far as I’m concerned, my name, with the middle initial, is my professional name. I never sign anything without the initial, any forms I fill out have it, right there between my first and last names. It’s even in my email address.
So, why is it such a fight to get other people to use it?

I just got copies of two of the books I edited for a particular company. And, I’m a geek, so I had to immediately look to see my name in print… and it wasn’t there. My first name was there, my last name was there (spelled correctly! woohoo!), and even though I know I had filled out the form with my middle initial, and sent all correspondence with my full name email address, someone had taken it upon themselves to take it out. What’s up with that?

It’s a battle I’ve been fighting for years, pretty much since I entered the work force. And I’m not so pretentious that I introduce myself with it, but when I put my name in writing, or when others put my name in writing, I expect to see it. It’s not like I’m asking a lot. It’s the letter M with a period after it, for Pete’s sake. It’s not like I’m making you spell out the whole darn name (and it’s a long one, too).

Man, when I finally get around to marrying the bf, I’m gonna have to go through this all over again, aren’t I? Oy.