After seven months of dual identity (Sister B at church and a "Hello, Mrs. Bunnell" when my mother calls, and Emily S at work and on all legal documents, email, etc.), I have officially changed my name, cutting in line to the front of the alphabet. One little trip to the Social Security office and a short, very efficient conversation with the woman behind the window who typed as if in fast-forward, watching my mouth with firm concentration while I spoke, and I am Mrs. Bunnell, legally and lawfully. Although I slyly wrote Emily Bunnell in the margins of my notes a hundred times before I married Mike, I miss my other name, mourn the loss of the fast curve of my "S" and the tall lines of my 'T' "F" and "L"s, miss being called near to the end to spell "xenophobia" or bend over for a scolosis test while, simultaneously, I'm happy to take the name of the man and the new family I love, despite the fact that my "B" has no magic, tragically looking like a pair of sagging bosoms. Mike has already set me to practicing. My little knot of missing S. goes beyond my abysmal penmanship and my spelling-bee trepidation, although I can't name it, can't articulate to what I am saying goodbye, if anything.
23 hours ago
7 comments:
Emily! I'm sad that we did not see you in Utah. It ended up being a super hectic trip! I know what you mean about letting go of your last name. It marks a shift for sure. Pretty soon most of your friends will never have known you as anything other than Bunnell! Let's catch up soon.
I'm still having a hard time signing Neville. I know: you design me a signature and I'll design one for you. I'll work really hard on a sexy B.
Amen! I miss my S too. (: I didn't want to change my name and took months to finally get it done. But, it's ok now and in Reno, all I am is Delyse Hardy. Though I still slip up and revert to Selch every now and then and people will look at me like I'm a weirdo because I don't even know my own name. I guess it's what we get for being girls...
It was a long process for me. Way to do that though. I had to move up in the alphabet too...I miss my Z...my new last name....my signature looks like a 5 year olds....more practice I guess.
the "B"can be hard but hang tough em, you'll get the sexy "B" we all have worked so hard for. Just wait though, after that you have to work on only writing two n's and two l's. That might take a while, but "Bummelll" is reason enough to keep at it :)
You should be a writer....
Who is Emily Bunnell? I don't know her. You will always be Stanfill to me. Emily Stanfill...and the Virgin Mary.
Post a Comment