Melissa's Place

Name Limbo

I'm currently in name-limbo. I got married on July 28th and decided to assume my new husband's last name. However, it takes 12 weeks for a marriage to be registered with the Ontario government and only THEN can you actually apply for a marriage certificate. Most businesses and institutions require the marriage certificate as proof of your new name.

Since 12 weeks has not yet passed, all of my legal documents and credit cards and stuff still say Melissa L, but in the spirit of being newly married, I keep trying to remember to tell people my NEW name, but every time I do, it makes me feel kind of giggly, as if I'm kind of pretending. Because I'm not really Melissa P, I'm Melissa L (I've got the driver's license to prove it), but I'm saying I'm Melissa P (just like I've been practicing writing my name as Melissa P in my spare time to see how my new signature will look - just like in grade school when I had a crush on someone).

Even referring to Mark, I keep saying "boyfriend...oh wait, NO, he's my husband now actually" which sounds VERY unsophisticated. (I think part of me still thinks I'm 21 and too young to be married, when in actuality I am WELL old enough to be married).

It will be more real, I imagine, when kids start to call me Mme P at school. That too, will be sort of strange because I teach grade 8, which means that MOST of those kids knew me last year when they were in grade 7, as Mlle L. They will be giggly or feel strange saying Mme P and I probably will feel strange too. It makes me feel strange to say "Bonjour, je m'appelle Mme P". giggle giggle

But if it's written on your classroom door on a small bronze plaque, then it must be true.