kslats

The web address for this blog begins kslats*... which comes from my name, sort of. You see, I got this right around the time I was getting married, around the time my name would change. But, you see, names don't change automatically. You have to submit the proper paperwork and call EVERYONE who uses your name for things. This all seemed like a lot of work that summer of 2008 when I was also busy moving to a new city and starting a new job. So I just didn't.

A few months later, this fact came up in casual conversation with some friends. They were appalled that I had not taken care of the name switch yet. This got me thinking, why was it so important that my husband and I share the same last name? I couldn't really come up with any compelling reasons for me. Sure, it shows a cohesiveness, the two becoming one. But he and I are one. I don't need to change my name to make that true. It's true because of how I live each day.

We've been married for nearly 4 years now, and I'm still using my maiden name. I've begun to think about it again, since soon we will be moving and I will be a stay-at-home-mom. I could justify it (at least somewhat) to outsiders before by simply using my legal name in my professional life but being OK to be called by my married name in my personal life. But soon my professional life will be on hold... what then?

I probably won't change a thing. I like that it makes people in our conservative, christian circles feel uncomfortable. That uncomfortableness makes people think about what they believe and why they believe it. I want the married women I come in contact with to consider why they changed their names. It should mean something. It should mean something much more than just bowing to societal conventions.

The one thing I probably will change is the web address for this blog. I'm just not sure what to change it to, yet!

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*Note: the blog address was switched to engineeringmotherhood.com in February of 2013